The winter meetings open up on Sunday night in Orlando, Fla., and the Toronto Blue Jays figure to be the talk of the industry after signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to multi-year deals worth a combined $240 million.

And the Jays may continue to be the most aggressive team in the league, as they’ve been connected to several other big names, including Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Bo Bichette, who spent the last seven years in the organization.

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The assumption all along has been that the team could afford to sign both Tucker and Bichette, but according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, that’s probably not the case.

He wrote the following on Sunday morning:

Tucker, who doesn’t have to be the primary star with Vladimir Guerrero entrenched as the face of the Blue Jays, could be the perfect fit. George Springer’s contract expires in a year and starter Kevin Gausman’s salary also comes off the books. If Tucker signs in Toronto, it would all but officially end Bo Bichette’s tenure north of the border, where he could wind up in Boston.

1) First off, if a Tucker signing comes at the expense of Bichette, it would help alleviate that loss. One of the best offensive players in baseball over the last five years, Tucker is a career .273 hitter with 147 home runs and 119 stolen bases in eight years with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.

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2) It would also help balance the Toronto lineup, which has skewed right-handed for years. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Springer and Alejandro Kirk are all right-handed, as is Ernie Clement, but Tucker would pair with Addison Barger to give them some left-handed thump. Daulton Varsho is left-handed as well.

3) A Tucker signing would complicate the defensive alignment, at least for a year. He would play the outfield alongside Varsho and one of George Springer and Anthony Santander, with the other playing DH. Barger would move to third, Clement would likely go to second and Andres Gimenez would play short.

Springer and Santander are not regarded as good outfielders, but the Jays will have to use one of them defensively until Springer’s deal runs out at the end of the season.

4) If Bichette signs with Boston, that would be a disappointing resolution to his Jays’ tenure, while also strengthening a division rival.

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