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Yankees, Blue Jays Would Make Life Harder for Rays if They Land Top Free Agent

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Brighter days could be on the horizon for the Tampa Bay Rays with a new ownership group taking over the franchise. Fans are certainly hopeful that their presence, along with a potential new stadium by 2029, will result in more spending on the Major League roster in the near future.

Keeping up in the American League East has been a challenge for the Rays from a spending standpoint. They have remained competitive, but they don’t have near the spending power of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.

Even the Toronto Blue Jays do laps around Tampa Bay and the Baltimore Orioles are beginning to spend more, too. It is a major obstacle that has presented challenges previously and could happen again this offseason.

Right fielder Kyle Tucker is the crown jewel of this year’s free agent class. He isn’t going to land a deal as lucrative as the one Juan Soto received from the New York Mets last year, but he is going to receive a massive contract.

Yankees, Blue Jays make top 10 landing spots list for Kyle Tucker

Unfortunately for the Rays, the four-time All-Star could be someone they have to face off against regularly in the future. That is because two of their AL East rivals have been mentioned as landing spots for Tucker this offseason.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked the top 10 teams, and the Blue Jays came in at No. 7. Toronto isn’t a stranger to pursuing players at the top of the free agent market. Where their issues arise is being able to seal the deal.

Shohei Ohtani. Juan Soto. The team has no qualms about offering big money, and Tucker will certainly demand a massive contract. They locked down Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a 14-year, $500 million extension in April.

Toronto is willing to spend and will likely make a strong push for Tucker, especially after advancing to the ALCS. Willingness to spend money has them as a suitor, but the fit is a messy one.

Anthony Santander signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract this past offseason and is best suited for a designated hitter’s role. That is the same case for George Springer. That complicates things from a roster standpoint, but adding a player of that caliber is worth figuring things out for.

Yankees are legitimate threats for Kyle Tucker

A little higher on the list is the Yankees, who were listed at No. 4. Their involvement in the Tucker sweepstakes will come down to whether or not they are able to bring back Cody Bellinger, who is opting out of his contract. Trent Grisham and Austin Slater are both set to be free agents, too.

If Bellinger departs, Tucker’s fit on the team is seamless. He would be a perfect player to pivot to, fitting the profile as a left-handed power bat to protect Aaron Judge in the lineup.

Adding a veteran to the mix would make a lot of sense for New York. Youngster Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones are both likely to factor into the mix for playing time in 2026. Having them compete for one spot instead of being penciled into spots individually makes the most sense.

Tampa Bay would certainly like to see another franchise, such as one of the National League powerhouses ahead of the Yankees on the rankings, land Tucker so they don’t have to deal with him for the next decade.