AL East Rival Could Steal Kyle Tucker From Yankees

The Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series last month while on their way to clinching the AL pennant.

This month, it could be more of the same, but with a much different prize up for grabs.

"(The Yankees) must spend just to keep up with the rest of the powerful AL East and will either bring back Cody Bellinger or sign Kyle Tucker," USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports.

Going North?

That brings us to the Blue Jays, the reigning division champions.

"They just earned an extra $50 million or so in revenue from their World Series run. They’ll put it right back into the team and could be the favorite for Kyle Tucker," Nightengale adds.

"Tucker, a native of Tampa, will sign with the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays or Los Dodgers, GMs predict," according to Nightengale.

"Don’t be surprised if the Blue Jays are the perfect fit," Nightengale concludes.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker — Oct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) reacts in the dug out after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning for game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Also riding high on Toronto is the New York Post's Jon Heyman, who lists Tucker as the No. 1 free agent on the board. Heyman predicts Tucker will land an 11-year, $375 million contract.

"He’s an all-around type without weakness and one of five players to post at least 4.0 WAR four straight years (Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto, José Ramírez). Two late injuries seemed to sour things in Chicago, even if he still had a 143 OPS-plus, so the Giants, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Phillies seem more likely," Heyman writes.

Other Suitors

"Tucker falls in that interesting bucket where he will rightly demand a contract in excess of $300 million, but the number of teams willing to pay that will limit his options. The Dodgers and Giants make sense, as do the Phillies," ESPN's Jeff Passan says.

ESPN's David Schoenfield reports the best fit for Tucker is the Dodgers. Should Los Angeles pass, look for the San Francisco Giants to be waiting on deck, according to Schoenfield.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden lists the best fits for Tucker: the Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies, Giants and New York Mets. The former general manager projects Tucker will get a 10-year, $427 million contract.

Tucker, 28, has hit at least 22 home runs in each of the last five seasons. The four-time All-Star won a Gold Glove Award in 2022 and Silver Slugger Award in 2023. In fact, Tucker finished fifth in voting for American League MVP in 2023 after driving in a career-high and league-leading 112 runs.

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