The Toronto Blue Jays may still be considered the favorite to land free agent four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear — Tucker will make his decision soon, and it likely comes down to the Blue Jays and the New York Mets, though the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers cannot be counted out completely.
But a new update on the Mets’ contract offer to Tucker from a former general manager for the team should cause considerable alarm in the Blue Jays’ front office, as it now appears that New York owner Steve Cohen is prepared to make Tucker nearly as highly paid as last offseason’s blockbuster free agent, Juan Soto, at least in terms of the average annual paycheck designated by his contract.
In December 2024, the Mets signed Soto to a historically unprecedented 15-year contract for $765 million. That comes out to an average of $51 million per year over the decade-and-a-half life of the deal, taking Soto — who made his MLB debut for the Washington Nationals at age 19 — through his age-40 season.
According to MLB Network Radio analyst Jim Duquette, who was the Mets’ general manager in 2003 and 2004, the Amazins are not offering Tucker anywhere close to 15 years, but they may be offering the Houston Astros’ 2015 first-round draft pick as much money as Soto in annual salary — and they just added at least one year to their offer.
Tucker Could Equal Soto’s $51 Million Salary
According to FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, in a report published Tuesday, the Mets have put an offer on the table for Tucker’s consideration that would pay the eight-year veteran $50 million per season.
But the deal, Murray reported, would be a “short-term offer.” The Blue Jays, according to a report by ESPN.com, have already extended “a long-term offer to Tucker, who is one of the best left-handed hitters in the league.”
The ESPN.com report did not specify the number of years or dollar value of the Blue Jays’ offer, while the Mets’ offer was believed by experts to come in at three years for $150 million.
Mets Jump to 4 Years For Tucker, Duquette Says
In an appearance on MLB Network Radio Wednesday morning, Duquette said the Mets have apparently added a year to their offer for Tucker.
“From what I can tell, it looks like they’ve likely gone to a fourth year on this, with an opt-out — probably multiple opt-outs — at around $50 million per year,” the former Mets GM said.
But Duquette did not stop there.
“My next question is are they willing to go further on the dollars and bump the AAV to Soto’s level ($51 million) or further?” he wrote on his social media account.
“When you get to that number and you find out that Steve Cohen is involved in the conversations, and that there have apparently been multiple discussions, you start to wonder,” Duquette said in the MLB radio interview. “This is how, for example, (Justin) Verlander got to $43 million and (Max) Scherzer got to $43 million. Would it stun you if they bumped their offer to match Soto? It wouldn’t stun me.”
Whether the Blue Jays would be willing to make Tucker the highest-paid player in baseball, topping even Soto, remains doubtful, considering that Toronto is already projected to carry a $312.3 million payroll into 2026 without Tucker. That would be the fourth-highest in baseball.
Adding another $51 million for Tucker would easily propel the Blue Jays past their 2025 World Series opponent, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are projected to carry a payroll of $357.2 million. With the possible Tucker contract, the Blue Jays would come in at $363.3 million — but would likely be out on the Tucker pursuit before pushing their payroll to that height.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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