Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Kyle Tucker

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were inches from a World Series title in 2025. That type of heartbreak is often followed by loud action, and the Jays have previously attempted to shop at the very top of the market. Now, fresh off a season showcasing that Toronto is a true destination, they have the opportunity to land the very best free agent available.

Imagine a lineup anchored by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kyle Tucker for the next decade. Toronto could use a stabilizing force from the left side, and the need for another impact bat only intensifies if Bo Bichette departs in free agency. 

Tucker represents exactly what Toronto wants to do at the plate right now. He brings a disciplined bat with high-contact consistency, 20-30 home run power, and enough athleticism to swipe 20 bags. Even though his defensive metrics dipped in 2025, he remains a large upgrade over their internal corner options.

Toronto has a motivated front office and the payroll flexibility to make this level of move. There is also no reason to believe Tucker’s injuries represent anything more than fluky contact plays. If a team wants to strike while a player’s value is ever-so-slightly suppressed by circumstance, this is it. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers rarely lose bidding wars, and they don’t shy away from decade-long megadeals if the outcome strengthens a championship core. That could easily be the case here.

Los Angeles needs another impact outfielder. Right field is a vacancy, and while you still can’t hide Teoscar Hernández’s defense in left field, Tucker would give them enough offense to justify the configuration. 

Still, there are questions in the Dodgers’ own evaluation room. Tucker’s defensive decline, from 90th percentile in 2022 to 52nd percentile in 2025, may give the Dodgers pause, particularly when they have emphasized outfield defense to balance a power-heavy lineup.

It’s also worth noting that L.A. could target a slightly less costly option, such as a reunion with Cody Bellinger. But if the Dodgers decide they want the best free agent on the board rather than simply a fit, they can write the check.

New York Yankees

The Yankees enter yet another winter needing to supply Aaron Judge with lineup protection.

Cody Bellinger is a free agent, as is Trent Grisham, although he may accept the qualifying offer. The rest of the outfield depth chart is a mix of youth and speculation. Tucker, who is younger than Bellinger and more consistent than anyone else on the market, represents the move that would stabilize New York’s contention window for the foreseeable future.

Judge can handle center field when needed, and Tucker logged innings in left earlier in his career, giving the Yankees enough defensive flexibility to pair the two without sacrificing alignment.

New York continues to build a roster constructed around superstars; Tucker fits that approach. He also fits the ballpark: elite contact quality, a left-handed stroke and a chase profile that travels well in October.

The Yankees have chased marquee bats for three consecutive offseasons. Eventually, they will land one again. Tucker is the kind of piece their payroll exists to absorb.

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco’s new front office regime, led by Buster Posey, has emphasized star acquisition as the path to rejoining the NL West elite. Their right field output in 2025 (.209 AVG, .632 OPS, 52 RBI) was dead last in the National League. Tucker would form a sorely needed 1-2 punch with Rafael Devers in a lineup that badly needs balance and thump.

The Giants have already demonstrated a willingness to carry premium contracts, and insiders believe Posey’s presence has materially improved their ability to close high-end deals. Tucker is a player they can sell: young, consistent and playoff-tested.

If San Francisco wants to begin a new era where superstars choose the Bay again, Tucker is the name that makes the most immediate sense.

Philadelphia Phillies

If the Phillies want to reshape their identity while preserving their power-heavy core, Tucker might be the ideal pivot. He would improve a defense that ranked 26th in MLB and cost Philadelphia 14 runs in 2025. With Harrison Bader and Max Kepler hitting free agency and Nick Castellanos a likely trade or release candidate, the outfield picture is ready for a makeover.

Phillies leadership has repeatedly communicated a simple philosophy: sustain the window as long as Bryce Harper is still a perennial threat. Harper turned 33 in October. Tucker, in his prime, allows this contending arc to extend another five years without interruption.

Philadelphia always has the potential to become the “mystery team” that delivers the boldest offer. Of any clubhouse on this list, Tucker’s personality and competitiveness may fit here best.

Chicago Cubs

If the Cubs can’t re-sign Kyle Tucker, they invested capital in the form of Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski to get a single season of his production. That risk now stares them in the face.

The Cubs have more than $35 million coming off the books, but they would need to spend big, and Chicago has never signed a player to a $200+ million contract.

Tucker loved his time in Chicago, routinely praising the culture, the young talent and the belief that this roster can contend for years to come. The Cubs, for their part, clearly value everything Tucker brings to the table.

The question is whether the Cubs can put their money where their heart is. If this turns into the upscale bidding war we project, the Cubs may need to accept that this was always a one-year partnership.

New York Mets

A Juan Soto-Kyle Tucker pairing would instantly become MLB’s most fearsome corner-outfield duo. And if there is a front office capable of spending aggressively on luxury, it is in Queens. The equation becomes more complicated with Pete Alonso also hitting free agency, but president of baseball operations David Stearns knows Tucker well from drafting him in Houston.

If the Mets whiff on Alonso, Tucker becomes the obvious escalation response. With Steve Cohen involved, nothing is out of reach.