#kyle-tucker

#kyle-tucker

A couple of Toronto Blue Jays have taken to social media in an attempt to try and recruit a superstar to come north. First, Myles Straw sent Tucker a funny message about baby sitting his child, after Tucker and his wife announced they were expecting. Now, it's Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s turn to get the rumor mill rolling again after he posted on Tucker's feed a few days ago. The post, an emoji and not an actual message, was more than enough to cause some excitement.

If there's one team willing and able to give outfielder Kyle Tucker the $400 million he seeks in free agency, it's the Toronto Blue Jays, according to many of the agents, executives and managers at baseball's annual winter meetings this week. And if there's one team with the capability to both trade for and extend Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, according to insiders, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays whiffed on the brightest stars of the past two free agent classes -- Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto -- and Rogers Communications still has money to spend after investing $500 million in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in April and another $210 million recently in free agent starter Dylan Cease. Tucker visited the Blue Jays' facility in Florida last week. Pairing the left-handed-hitting outfielder with the right-handed-hitting Guerrero would give Toronto a scary tandem for years.

Fast forward to December, and some seemed to have cooled on Tucker after he underwhelmed in his debut season with the Cubs. He finished the year with 22 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 136 games played. His .841 OPS, while still 43% better than league average, was his worst since 2022. His .464 slugging percentage was his lowest career line.

The hot stove started simmering early this MLB offseason -- and shows no signs of slowing down. The Seattle Mariners kicked the winter off by re-signing Josh Naylor, followed by the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles pulling off an early trade. Then the Texas Rangers and New York Mets upped the ante with a Marcus Semien-for- Brandon Nimmo swap before the Boston Red Sox acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

The Dream Replacement: Kyle Tucker The Blue Jays have actually been mentioned in a Tucker rumor or two this offseason, though this feels rather difficult to pull off. First things first: Tucker is likely to be the only free agent who receives a larger contract than Bichette does this year. If the Blue Jays hesitate to pay their star $200 million, what's to say they'll feel comfortable giving an outside more than $300 million?

Many throughout the media have assumed he'll end up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. LA has a real need in the outfield, and Tucker on paper would appear to be a perfect fit. Money is rarely an issue with this franchise given the amount they print courtesy of back-to-back World Series titles and a host of marketing opportunities within the United States as well as in Asia.

Myles Straw may be suited for a role as a Major League Baseball General Manager when his playing days are over. The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder is putting in the work this offseason by trying to make the team better and he's doing it in ways that's catching the attention of many Blue Jays fans online. Over the weekend Straw was playing the role of "active recruiter" as he was trying to entice one of the biggest names on the market to join the Blue Jays.

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don't use Spotify or Apple for podcasts. This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss... Plus, we answer your questions, including...

The days of George Steinbrenner seem like a distant memory in the Bronx. The New York Yankees last won the World Series in 2009, while he still stood at the helm. But most, if not, all Yankee fans still openly echo his philosophy, believing there is no such thing as a good season; you either win or you lose. If you did not win, then you lost. And if you lost, how can it be a good season?

As a result, the White Sox could suddenly be willing to spend as much as $450 million on a blockbuster contract signing, though stealing Tucker from the Cubs is still probably a long shot.

The Red Sox mounted an impressive comeback win in their game against the Guardians yesterday, but the mood was dampened by the fact that budding star Roman Anthony exited the game due to an oblique injury. After the game, Anthony spoke to reporters (including Tim Healey of the Boston Globe) and noted that this oblique injury is "definitely worse" than the day-to-day back injury he dealt with a few weeks ago. It's unclear what sort of timeline for return to action Anthony might be facing.