Insider provides telling Kyle Tucker update

With the start of spring training on the horizon, there have been few major offseason acquisitions made by the New York Mets. The one exception was the trade for Marcus Semien, which came at the cost of outfield stalwart Brandon Nimmo.

After losing franchise cornerstones in Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Jeff McNeil and Nimmo this winter, the Mets are now looking to fill those voids with the hopes of improving the roster and cheering up a frustrated fanbase. And with New York still needing a prolific bat for their lineup to go along with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, is Kyle Tucker still a realistic option for them?

During his weekly live stream on Bleacher Report, Jon Heyman of the New York Post gave a telling update on the ongoing free agency pursuit of Tucker.

"It feels like the [Toronto] Blue Jays, Mets, or [Los Angeles] Dodgers at this point," Heyman said. "I feel like if it's not the Jays, the Dodgers and Mets are the most likely candidates."

.@JonHeyman talks about Kyle Tucker's market live in the B/R app 📱 pic.twitter.com/w9fbeUjrkf
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 7, 2026

This report from Heyman comes after former Mets general manager Jim Duquette reported late Tuesday evening that the Mets, along with the aforementioned Dodgers and Blue Jays, remain "the most aggressive suitors" in on Tucker.

Tucker is coming off a one-year stint with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the Houston Astros to the Windy City last offseason. The 28-year-old is also a free agent for the first time in his career, but his market has yet to gain much traction.

The All-Star outfielder appeared in 136 games for Chicago last season, slashing .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI, 25 stolen bases and an .841 OPS. While Tucker logged his lowest OPS since 2022, it was still his fifth straight season with 20 home runs or more.

Despite being named the National League's starting right fielder in the All-Star Game last year, Tucker was placed on the 10-day injured list on September 2 due to a left calf strain and was limited to DH duties towards the end of the regular season and during the Cubs' playoff run.

While Tucker's power at the dish is undisputed, teams have not indicated that they would be willing to sign him to the $300 to $400 million long term contract he is reportedly seeking. If his market continues to move slowly, he may need to settle on a short-term deal.

With David Stearns being known for not signing players to lucrative long-term contracts, it remains unclear if the Amazins' are deemed serious favorites of Tucker. For now, they are at least a team to keep on the radar.

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