Dodgers sign Kyle Tucker, leaving Blue Jays in the lurch

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On the field and in the pursuit of free agents, the Blue Jays just can’t get past the two-time defending World Series champions.

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Yes, the Los Angeles Dodgers did it again late on Thursday, sweeping in during the figurative late innings to grab free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, an all-star player the Jays were chasing to become a cornerstone of their team for years to come.

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Instead of taking his talents to Canada for years to come, according to multiple reports, Tucker is headed to the mighty, free-spending Dodgers, who defeated the Jays in that dramatic Game 7 World Series this past fall.

What the Tuck, indeed.

The deal for Tucker reportedly is over four years, but worth a whopping $240 million US, meaning the Dodgers did what they do and came in and outbid the other big market teams in the chase.

The pursuit of the top position player on the market heated up significantly over the last couple of days with the New York Mets reportedly offering $200 million US over four years.

The strength of a Toronto bid was thought to be term — with some speculation that the Jays were willing to offer the 28-year-old as much as 10 years on a lucrative deal.

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Instead, as always it feels, the Dodgers got their man again.

The Tucker signing comes two years after the Jays were thought to be the close runner-up to the Dodgers in the bidding for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Losing out on Tucker has to feel like a bitter defeat for the Jays, who had seemed to be aggressive in their chase for the coveted free agent almost from the start of the off-season. The Tampa, Fla., native visited the Jays player development complex in nearby Dunedin in early December, fuelling speculation of the Jays’ seriousness in trying to land the star outfielder.

The Jays remained engaged with Tucker’s camp throughout and, when the market seemed to be tepid through most of December, there was cautious optimism that it would play into the Jays strategy.

Turns out the Dodgers were always just sitting there waiting to launch another late-in-the-game gutting of the Blue Jays.

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What’s next for the Blue Jays?

A productive off-season in which the Jays have added an elite starter (Dylan Cease), a high-end reliever (Tyler Rogers), another intriguing starter (Cody Ponce) and a Japanese slugger (Kazuma Okamoto) had the potential of being an all-timer for Jays general manager Ross Atkins.

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Tucker would have completed one of the best retooling efforts in franchise history and firmly established the Jays as the team to beat in the American League.

They’re still an improved group from the one that finished the season, but speculation will now turn to a possible pursuit of bringing back all-star infielder, Bo Bichette.

That won’t be an easy task, either, given the market for Bichette has heated up in recent days as well with the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and to a lesser extent, the New York Yankees, reported to be in the bidding for the two-time all star.

Both Bichette and the Jays have professed a desire to reunite but it was thought that once the pitching acquisitions were made — and especially after the Okamoto deal — that Toronto’s focus was on Tucker.

It certainly made sense as a fit positionally, especially with outfielders George Springer and Daulton Varsho due to hit free agency after next season.

The infield may be more crowded now with Okamoto likely headed for third base, but the Jays have long been creative in deploying their position players and value versatility in the lineup.

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The Jays may also have interest in Cody Bellinger, the other big-name position player free agent still remaining, but it would make more sense if they prioritized Bichette.

Why the Dodgers

We’ll see in the coming days why Tucker decided on the Dodgers, but the pull of the champs is a strong one for any and all free agents it seems.

Not only have they won the past two World Series, they are loaded once again and will enter 2026 as the heavy favourite to three-peat.

Despite his apparent desire for a long-term contract, the deal Tucker got from the Dodgers had to be attractive as well, starting with the whopping $60 million he’ll be earning annually.

As well, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years, meaning that there is still a bet-on-himself component to the deal for Tucker, who could walk after 2027 and chase an even more lucrative long-term deal.

Tucker is just the latest mega-star free agent to land in L.A. in recent years joining Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki among others.

rlongley@postmedia.com
X: @longleysunsport

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