Blue Jays show willingness to spend with rejected Kyle Tucker offer

The Toronto Blue Jays may have missed out on outfielder Kyle Tucker, but it was not due to a lack of effort.

Tucker and the Blue Jays had been linked for much of the offseason, with the outfielder reportedly visiting their spring training complex. The mutual interest was strong enough for Toronto to make a long-term offer, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Blue Jays offered Tucker a 10-year, $350M contract.

The Blue Jays may have made the only long-term offer to Tucker. He had reportedly received a four-year, $220M contract from the Mets before accepting a four-year, $240M deal with the Dodgers.

Blue Jays may have another chance at Kyle Tucker soon

The Blue Jays offer would have been one of the more lucrative contracts in the majors. Tucker would have been tied with Manny Machado, who signed an 11-year, $350M contract, for the sixth-largest contract in the majors in terms of total value. That offer would have also been the largest free agent contract in Blue Jays history, easily surpassing the seven-year, $210M contract given to Dylan Cease earlier in the offseason.

A four-time All-Star and the 2022 AL Gold Glove winner in left, Tucker has been one of the better all-around outfielders in the majors. He has produced a .273/.358/.507 batting line over his 3,158 career plate appearances, hitting 147 homers and 160 doubles while stealing 119 bases. At 29 years old, Tucker should have several strong seasons ahead of him.

The Blue Jays may have another chance to bring Tucker on board relatively soon. His contract with the Dodgers includes a pair of opt-out clauses, the first coming after his second season in Los Angeles. If he can continue his solid performance, he may hit the market again during the 2027-28 offseason, allowing the Blue Jays to rekindle that interest.