Blue Jays Miss Out on Taking Star Outfielder from Yankees in Free Agency

The Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on a free agent that would have been a great addition.

Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A view of a Toronto Blue Jays hat before game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have been extremely busy this winter, but they have recently missed out on adding a player who could have been the final piece to the puzzle.

With plenty of resources and being a team that was just in the World Series, the Blue Jays figured to be a strong fit for Kyle Tucker in free agency. However, both the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers came up with some very creative and appealing short-term deals for the star slugger. 

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Ultimately, he ended up signing with the Dodgers, and that move resulted in the Mets pivoting to sign Bo Bichette. Following the signing of Kazuma Okamoto for the Blue Jays, it felt like Bichette’s time with the team was coming to an end. That ultimately ended up being the case. 

With interest in Tucker, they clearly wanted to improve their outfield and also the lineup. However, after missing out on Tucker, they were unable also to land Cody Bellinger in free agency, with the star slugger reportedly signing with the New York Yankees

 Bellinger Made Sense for Blue Jays

Cody Bellinger's deal with the Yankees is for five years and $162.5 million, sources tell ESPN. There are opt-outs after the second and third season, a $20M signing bonus and a full no-trade clause.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 21, 2026

In terms of sluggers, Bellinger was the best free agent left on the market and had a couple of potential suitors. With the Yankees and the Mets still both interested in adding him, his market was pretty strong at this stage of the winter. 

For the Blue Jays, there are a couple of obvious reasons why he would have made sense for the team. As a former National League MVP, there is clearly a lot of talent there. He is coming off a great campaign with the Yankees in 2025 and would undoubtedly improve the outfield. 

Why Tucker made a lot of sense for the team long-term is also why Bellinger did. Toronto’s outfield has a lot of question marks past the 2026 season, with Daulton Varsho entering the final year of his deal. Furthermore, George Springer is also getting older, and Anthony Santander really struggled in 2025. 

While adding Bellinger for 2026 would have made the Blue Jays more of a contender in the short term, he could also have provided them with an answer to what is potentially going to be a massive need next winter. Overall, he made plenty of sense for the team to pursue both short-term and long-term. Now, the team will be mostly relying on the internal options to help replace the production that they lost with Bichette in free agency this winter.

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