Blue Jays emerge as "most aggressive" team in Kyle Tucker chase with Phillies looming if Kyle Schwarber walks, per MLB insider

Kyle Tucker is probably the biggest free agent this offseason, and two teams are hot on the tail of the outfielder. Tucker is expected to sign a contract worth around $400 million this offseason.

According to MLB insider Buster Olney, the Toronto Blue Jays, who just appeared in the World Series, are the "most aggressive" team to land Tucker.

“The Toronto Blue Jays seem to be the most aggressive team to date that I’ve heard of,” Olney said.

Over the last few years, the Blue Jays have regularly gone after the top free agent on the market. They were close to signing Shohei Ohtani, but eventually lost the battle to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last offseason, they tried to sign Juan Soto, but another failed attempt. This time, it's Tucker.

Interestingly, just a few days ago, the outfielder visited the Blue Jays’ facility in Dunedin, showing there's mutual interest between both parties.

Olney also reported that the Philadelphia Phillies may also go after Tucker, in case they fail to re-sign Kyle Schwarber this offseason.

What makes Blue Jays' path easy to sign Tucker is the fact that the New York Mets already have Pete Alonso's free agency to worry about and they may not be able to offer another $400+ million deal for the second straight year. The Dodgers also has a payroll at an all-time high. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are also more focused on re-signing Cody Bellinger than going aggressively for Tucker.

What makes Kyle Tucker the biggest free agent this offseason

When healthy, Kyle Tucker has delivered like no other. In the last five years, he has consistently ranked among the top 10 position players in WAR. He is a five-tool player with good power hitting, on-base skills and good defense.

In 2025, he hit .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs, 25 stolen bases, and recorded a 4.5 fWAR in 136 games. He's in the rare group of hitters who have hit 100+ home runs, recorded 100+ steals, posted a strikeout rate under 20%, and a walk rate above 10% since 2021.

That's why projections have him potentially signing a contract in the range of $400 to $500 million. An estimate says that Tucker can sign a deal between 8-12 years of range with $35-45 million annual salary.