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Recent attempts to sign marquee free agents have not gone well for the Toronto Blue Jays. Having expressed an interest in signing both Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto during their respective free agency periods, the Jays ended up empty handed on both occasions.
As they look to avoid the same fate this time around in their pursuit of Kyle Tucker, ESPN's Buster Olney is of the opinion that an an "early, aggressive bid" may be the best course of action for the Blue Jays.
"In recent winters, the Blue Jays wanted to spend big and couldn't entice Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto to take their money," Olney wrote on Friday. "Now, some free agents could need Toronto, if some of the big-money teams pass on pricey moves.
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"Kyle Tucker has been projected as a $400 million-plus player, but it might behoove him to move quickly if he gets an early, aggressive bid from the Jays (or some other team). This is not a winter in which you want to be waiting for the big offers to materialize, as they did for Bryce Harper and Manny Machado in past offseasons."
Kyle Tucker's potential acquisition may hinder chances of the Blue Jays re-signing Bo Bichette, per insider
Kyle Tucker isn't the only big-name signing the Blue Jays are linked with this winter. Bo Bichette, who played a key role in the success of 2025, is also a free agent at the moment, and fans have naturally been clamoring for the organization to re-sign the infielder.
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, however, bringing in Tucker may lead to the Blue Jays letting Bichette walk.
"I think there is a legitimate possibility for Kyle Tucker and the Toronto Blue Jays," Morosi said. "You can see how the fit would be a very good one. You've got the reigning American League champion, the team's clearly committed to winning with the signings of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce already this offseason. They brought back Shane Bieber.
"Kyle Tucker is a good fit for this lineup, if they do not bring Bo Bichette back. You could see a scenario where (Addison) Barger plays third, (Ernie) Clement plays second, (Andres) Gimenez plays short, (Anthony) Santander in left, George Springer in right and this becomes your club. The Jays already have great depth of outfielders, but that's actually part of the reason why they might be able to sign Tucker on terms that they view as being favorable to them."
Bichette ended the 2025 regular season with a .311 batting average, 18 home runs and 94 RBIs. His strong performances earned him an inclusion in the All-MLB second team.
