Kyle Tucker is now a Los Angeles Dodger. The star outfielder signed a major contract, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets behind after they tried hard to get him. Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers.
According to Heavy.com, this contract has an average annual value of $60 million, making it the second-highest AAV in MLB history. Only his new teammate Shohei Ohtani makes more at $70 million per year. Tucker also got opt-outs after the second and third years, giving him flexibility to test free agency again if he wants.
After the Blue Jays lost out on Tucker, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal explained why the deal never happened in Toronto, even though the team was ready to offer him a long-term contract. It wasn’t just about money but about the contract structure and where Tucker wanted to play.
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Tucker’s preference for short-term flexibility left Toronto out of the running
Rosenthal said on January 15 that he didn’t think Tucker wanted to go long-term or to Toronto. While Toronto has become a better destination for players in recent years, not every free agent wants to go there. Since Tucker clearly wanted a short-term deal with opt-outs, which is what he got from the Dodgers, the Blue Jays’ long-term offer was never going to work.
The Blue Jays spent $337 million this offseason across four free agent signings, including Dylan Cease. This shows that free agents do want to come to Toronto. But as Rosenthal noted, “It doesn’t mean every free agent wants to go there.”
With Toronto’s long-term offer off the table, the choice came down to the Mets and Dodgers. For a player like Tucker, who keeps a low profile, Rosenthal thinks the decision was easy. “Then it comes down to, of course, the Mets and the Dodgers,” Rosenthal said. “If you’re a player right now, where would you rather play?”
Rosenthal pointed out problems with the Mets’ clubhouse last year, which doesn’t help when trying to sign top players. He questioned why Tucker would go to New York when he could go to Los Angeles for possibly more money. “He’s going to go to New York? Where the clubhouse was a mess last year, when he can go to LA for perhaps even more money,” Rosenthal said.
“It never made sense to me that that was going to happen in the Mets’ favor. I am not surprised by the outcome in that sense.” The Mets have been dealing with their share of drama lately, similar to other wild controversies in sports. The Mets did make a serious offer of $220 million over four years, but the appeal of LA was too strong for Tucker.Â
A former MLB general manager reported on January 15 that New York will likely turn their attention to Cody Bellinger, who is still available. The Yankees have been stuck in talks with Bellinger for two and a half months, so this could work out for the Mets and help save their offseason. However, the Yankees’ actual plans for Bellinger remain unclear despite their public statements.
Published: Jan 16, 2026 03:45 pm