The Toronto Blue Jays have been seen as the favorites to sign Kyle Tucker for most of the offseason. The superstar slugger reportedly visited the team’s spring training facility earlier this offseason.

Tucker is one of the best hitters in the sport, and many experts project him to earn north of $400 million in total value this offseason, but it remains to be seen where he signs. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays and Phillies have all reportedly shown interest in him, but not all contenders for Tucker are built the same.

The Blue Jays have shown that they are willing to spend big this offseason and may have the edge to sign him. Meanwhile, the spend-happy Dodgers are reportedly not willing to make him a long-term offer. The Yankees seem to be focusing on Cody Bellinger and the Phillies may have already pivoted off Tucker by signing Adolis García to a one-year deal.

The Mets have not made a major splash in free agency this offseason. They have signed Luke Weaver, Devin Williams and Jorge Polanco and also traded for Marcus Semien. However, they have lost Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil. They have an aggressive owner and a need for production in the lineup now. The Blue Jays and Mets are both capable of landing Tucker, and he could be a great addition to both squads.

Prediction: Tucker signs with the Mets on an 11-year, $430 million deal after Blue Jays offer 11-year, $400 million

Steve Cohen and the Mets are not going to go an entire offseason watching star free agents sign with other teams. The Mets still have Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, and are not in a position to go into a rebuild. They get back to their spending ways by outbidding the Blue Jays by $30 million, creating a core of Soto, Lindor and Tucker for years to come.

Tucker is one of the best hitters in baseball, but he had a down year this season. He did not hit well at Wrigley Field, but his numbers on the road were stellar. He had a .923 OPS on the road compared to a .747 OPS at home. He has 134 home runs since the start of 2021 and is a four-time All-Star.

After dealing Nimmo, the Mets need help in the outfield. Adding Tucker would change the perspective Mets fans have on the offseason drastically. They lost some key players, but adding Weaver, Williams, Tucker, Semien and Polanco is a solid haul. However, without Tucker, they would fail to replace the type of production Alonso brought.

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