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Blue Jays get positive update on Kyle Tucker.
The Toronto Blue Jays hosted top free agent Kyle Tucker for a visit, and now the team has gotten a major update on their chances of signing.
Toronto was mentioned as a contender for Tucker this offseason, and it appears the interest is real. Tucker went to Dunedin to visit the Blue Jays’ training facilities on Wednesday.
Now, MLB insider Jon Morosi was on MLB Network and believes there’s a legitimate chance the Blue Jays sign Tucker.
“I think there is a legitimate possibility for Kyle Tucker and the Toronto Blue Jays,” Morosi said on Thursday. “One of the reasons, by the way, it’s just a 23-mile drive from Plant High School in the great city of Tampa, Florida, to the Blue Jays spring training complex in Dunedin.
“For Kyle Tucker, that’s just around the block. This is his hometown, and you could see how the fit would be a good one. You have the reigning American League Champions, the team that is clearly committed to winning.”
Morosi believes signing Tucker would fit well with the Blue Jays. He’d join an outfield alongside Daulton Varsho and Anthony Santander. Addison Barger would become the full-time third baseman. Ernie Clement would be the full-time second baseman, and Andres Gimenez would shift to shortstop.
Blue Jays Among Teams Showing Interest in Tucker
Tucker is the top free agent available and will be in line for a massive payday.
Although the Blue Jays already handed out $210 million to Dylan Cease and $30 million to Cody Ponce, the team may not be done. MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided reports that Tucker was visiting the Blue Jays’ facility in Dunedin on Wednesday.
“Free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker was spotted at the Toronto Blue Jays’ facility in Dunedin, Fla., on Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the situation,” Murray wrote. … “But the Blue Jays are once again examining the big-game market, evidenced by bringing in Tucker for a visit.”
Tucker spent last season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the Houston Astros. With the Cubs, Tucker dealt with injuries down the stretch, but he hit .266 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs as he dealt with injuries. He’s a four-time MLB All-Star. Tucker is also a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and a one-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Toronto has Money to Spend
The Blue Jays made it to the World Series, which led to plenty of extra revenue for the team.
Due to the new influx of revenue, Toronto planned to be aggressive this offseason, according to Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro.
“What is clear is that we’ve had an unprecedented level of support, and I don’t see that support going backwards at all,” Shapiro said at the Blue Jays’ year-end press conference.
Toronto has already shown it has money to spend. And, if they end up getting Tucker, it only furthers that the Blue Jays are going all-in on winning.
“I love this time of the year,” Blue Jays GM Atkins said at the GM meetings. “It’s so efficient. It’s an extremely productive time to have this many people in the room, on the agent side and on the team side, to start to cut to the chase a little bit and learn where the priorities are and where the opportunities may be. But there’s still a lot of dialogue and work to happen.”
Toronto is tied for the seventh-best odds of winning the World Series.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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