It looks like the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes could be nearing an end.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, people involved say a deal between the star free-agent outfielder and a team could come as soon as Thursday. Any team other than the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers would be a major surprise, according to Heyman.
Folks involved say a deal for No. 1 free agent Kyle Tucker could come as soon as today. Ex teammates guess he’d prefer Toronto over an even bigger market (and like spring near Tampa). Mets offered $50M-a-year deal. Dodgers are used to winning. Anyone else is a major upset.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 15, 2026
Heyman adds former teammates guess he would prefer Toronto over a bigger market like New York or L.A. and also would enjoy having spring training in Dunedin, Fla., near his hometown of Tampa.
ESPN reported on Wednesday that the Jays have made a long-term offer to the 28-year-old and he also visited the Jays’ spring complex in-person earlier in free agency.
According to Mets beat reporter Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets have a four-year deal on the table for Tucker. Multiple reports have indicated the Mets have gone as high as $50 million annually to try and entice Tucker into a short-term deal.
The Mets, according to a source, have a four-year offer on the table for Kyle Tucker. @JimDuquetteGM first suggested yesterday the Mets had possibly offered that length.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) January 15, 2026
The Dodgers are also believed to be offering Tucker a shorter-term deal with higher salary.
Tucker is the consensus No. 1 free agent on the board this winter. He is a four-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a Gold Glove Award winner, and helped the Houston Astros win the World Series title in 2022, clubbing two home runs in Houston’s six-game victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Astros and was traded to the Chicago Cubs last winter in a deal involving Isaac Paredes.
Tucker slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI in 136 games last season, making the All-Star Game for the fourth year in a row. However, his production did drop off in the second half of the season and he missed time in September due to a calf issue.
He is a career .273 hitter with an .865 OPS and 147 home runs in 769 regular-season games.
The Blue Jays have been busy this off-season, reaching a $210 million megadeal with right-hander Dylan Cease early in December. They also inked pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers to three-year deals and had starter Shane Bieber opt-in on his $16 million player option.
On the position player front, they reached a four-year, $60 million agreement with Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.
The $336 million spent by Toronto is the most of any MLB team so far this winter.
