Blue Jays Will Be Fine After Crushing Kyle Tucker Free Agency Loss to Dodgers
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On the heels of what has been a very long pursuit this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays finally have their answer as to whether or not Kyle Tucker is coming to the team.
As first reported on Thursday night by Jeff Passan, Toronto has lost out on the four-time-All Star to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed him to an absurd four-year deal worth $60 million annually for a total value of $240 million.
The Dodgers were seen as an outsider throughout the process and as things came to a close it looked like a race between the Blue Jays and New York Mets, with a long offer on the table from Toronto and a lucrative short-term offer from New York.
Then, as they have done so many times before, Los Angeles swooped in at the final hour with an offer that dwarfed the competition and once again the Blue Jays finish behind the Dodgers in pursuit of a star. Tucker's arrival might have signaled a new era for Toronto after missing on virtually every big name free agent over the years despite heavy pursuits, however instead it's more of the same.
As much as it stings though, this team will be just fine without him.
What Tucker Would Have Added to Blue Jays Lineup, Outfield
Tucker is one of the best all around players in Major League Baseball when fully healthy and performing at his best, however he has had trouble staying on the field over the last couple of years and committing to him for a decade was always a risk.
With both Daulton Varsho and George Springer set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, locking the 28-year-old Tucker down for the long-haul may have given the Blue Jays stability in the outfield, which may be the toughest part of this.
As for the offense, Tucker's lefty bat would have balanced a righty-heavy lineup and added an element of both power and elite contact, never having struck out 100 times in a season during his whole career. A pursuit of Cody Bellinger could still happen, though he has had some more inconsistency issues than Tucker.
Perhaps Toronto now turns its focus to a Bo Bichette reunion, however even if they don't, they are still the team to beat in the AL.
Blue Jays Are Still American League Favorites
Right after making the World Series, instead of being content, Toronto ownership and general manager Ross Atkins have attempted to step on the throats of the rest of the American League. The Blue Jays have spent hundreds of millions on the pitching staff as well as Kazuma Okamoto to potentially soften the blow of the possible loss of Bichette.
There's no question that the Blue Jays are the team to beat in the AL even without signing Tucker. While it would be nice to acquire another big bat for the lineup whether it be Bichette of someone else, the roster is in a tremendous spot and the road the the World Series still goes through Toronto.
Signing Tucker -- at least for 2026 -- was a luxury, albeit a phenomenal one. This is not the Blue Jays team of a couple years ago that was desperate for a star player and did not have a path forward without one.
Toronto came within two outs of glory without Tucker, and now they can chase it again while likely having to do it against him. Acquiring him would have been great, but it's far from the end of the world in Toronto.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.