The Mets lost out on Kyle Tucker Thursday night, watching their top target sign a massive four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers instead. But here’s what stings most about this whole thing – they weren’t nearly as far off as you might think.
According to former Mets GM Jim Duquette, the Mets put a four-year, $220 million offer on the table for Tucker. That’s just $20 million less than what LA ended up paying.
“A MLB source confirmed the Mets offer was 4 years at $220 million,” Duquette shared on Twitter/X.
Let’s break this down. The Mets were offering $55 million per season while the Dodgers went to $60 million annually. That’s a $5 million gap that kept Tucker from heading to Queens and instead sent him to an already loaded Dodgers lineup.
Now, we’ll never know if matching that extra $5 million would’ve sealed the deal for Steven Cohen and David Stearns. Tucker might’ve preferred the West Coast regardless. But being that close to landing a player of his caliber has to make this rejection hurt more than usual.
The previous reports had the Mets at around $50 million per year, so they clearly upped their offer as negotiations intensified. They made a serious run at the former Astros star, who’s coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons and brings elite power from the right side.
What’s Next for the Mets?
With Tucker off the board, the Mets are expected to pivot toward Cody Bellinger and explore other outfield options. They’ve also got starting pitching needs to address, and losing their top target means they’ll need to get creative with Plan B.
The Mets’ $220 million offer shows they’re willing to spend big this winter. That’s the kind of money that could land them multiple impact players if they spread it around instead of going all-in on one guy.
What makes this different is how competitive their offer was. This wasn’t a case of the Mets getting outbid by $50 million – they were right there with one of the biggest spenders in baseball and just came up short.
Tucker’s deal with the Dodgers continues LA’s pattern of adding elite talent to what’s already a championship-caliber roster. For the Mets, it’s back to the drawing board with plenty of payroll flexibility and a clear willingness to make big moves.
