The Toronto Blue Jays are making moves this winter. After landing Dylan Cease on a $210 million deal, they’re turning their attention to the bullpen and lineup upgrades.
Kyle Tucker sits at the top of their wish list, and for good reason. The four-time All-Star would transform their outfield instantly.
But there’s competition. The Los Angeles Dodgers want Tucker too, and we’ve seen how those bidding wars usually end for teams going head-to-head with LA.
Here’s where it gets interesting, though. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports the Blue Jays might actually have the upper hand in this race.
“The Dodgers will make a bid for Tucker, and are willing to pay in excess of $30 million a year, but only on a short-term contract. They have no interest in giving him the nine- or 10-year deal he’s seeking.”
That’s huge for Toronto. The Dodgers are ready to spend big on an annual basis – we’re talking $30 million plus per year. But they won’t go long-term.
Tucker, meanwhile, wants security. Nightengale notes that “Tucker has no interest in signing a deal that won’t carry him through the rest of his career.”
We just saw this play out with Pete Alonso. The New York Mets wouldn’t budge beyond three years, so the Baltimore Orioles swooped in with a five-year deal and landed their guy.
The math here works in Toronto’s favor. If they’re willing to offer six years or more – easily double what LA’s considering – they could have a clear path to Tucker even without matching the Dodgers’ per-year money.
Sometimes it’s not about the biggest AAV. It’s about guaranteed money over time. For a player looking at his last big contract, that total value and security matters more than squeezing every dollar out of the annual salary.
The Blue Jays have been aggressive this winter, and Tucker represents the kind of cornerstone player they need to build around. If Nightengale’s reporting holds up, Toronto might finally win a bidding war with the Dodgers by being the team willing to commit long-term.
That’s not something you see every day in today’s market.
