2025 Stats: .266/.377/.464, 22 HR, 73 RBI, 87 BB, .841 OPS, 4.5 WAR

Original Ranking on List: 1

Original Contract Prediction: 10 years, $360 million with player opt out available after 2029

Original Team Prediction: Yankees

Fresh Prediction: 10 years, $360 million with player opt out available after 2029 with Yankees

For being the consensus top free agent available this offseason, things have been surprisingly quiet on Kyle Tucker.

The incumbent Chicago Cubs seemingly aren’t going to mount any real attempt to retain an outfielder entering his age-29 season, a bizarre strategy from a franchise that doesn’t flex its financial might nearly as much as it should.

After re-signing Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $155 million deal, the Philadelphia Phillies—a team that some believed could be a possible suitor for Tucker—likely won’t be a factor in his sweepstakes.

The Yankees remain an interesting potential landing spot for Tucker, who seemingly would thrive playing 81 games a season at Yankee Stadium. He would likely have to shift to left field, with Aaron Judge in right field and the aforementioned Grisham hoping to rebound defensively in center field. But there’s no evidence at this point that the Yankees are hell bent at this point to try to land Tucker, as opposed to just bringing back Cody Bellinger, who does come with more positional flexibility.

Will the Mets—so far one of the biggest losers of the offseason—become a player for Tucker? He could play in one of the two corner outfield spots, essentially replacing (and serving as an upgrade over) Brandon Nimmo. Whether the Mets are inclined, an offseason after giving Juan Soto a 15-year deal, to spend big on another corner outfielder is unclear.

The defending AL Champion Blue Jays may prove to be the best landing spot for Tucker, though perhaps we’re putting too much stock in the Tampa native making the relatively close trip to Dunedin, where Toronto spends their Spring Trainings.

If Tucker lingers on the market, it will be interesting to see the two-time defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers are able to convince Tucker to take a contract like Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso did last year that pays him a ton annually on a short-term deal with opt outs.

It is strange to have this little clarity on a player with Tucker’s resume coming out of the Winter Meetings.