Perhaps it wasn’t all about the money for Kyle Tucker.

Or, maybe it was?

After months of speculation, the Tucker sweepstakes ended in bitter disappointment for Toronto Blue Jays fans, as the 29-year-old chose to sign a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The deal with Los Angeles is worth $240 million over four years, meaning Tucker will make an average of $60 million per season throughout the duration of the mega-deal.

Although Tucker just became one of the richest athletes in the world, we’ve learned that the Blue Jays offered him more money. 

According to MLB Insider Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays offered him a total of $110 million more on a 10-year contract.

Toronto’s final offer to Tucker was reportedly $350 million over 10 years. 

Signing with Toronto would have given Tucker more long-term security. Although when you’re making more money in a year than most people sniff in their lifetime, does it really matter?

Toronto’s offer would have given him an average annual salary of $35 million. With the Dodgers, his yearly salary is $57.1 million when accounting for the deferred money in his contract.

The Dodgers’ deal with Tucker did include an opt-out clause after two seasons. The opt-out clauses in MLB are player-controlled, meaning Tucker could theoretically leave Los Angeles in two years and make even more money if he chose to do so.

Even if Tucker chooses to play out his Los Angeles contract, there’s a chance he could cash in with a similarly-sized deal in four years if he continues to perform at a high-level.

Or, maybe he’ll regret not opting for security from the Blue Jays once his deal expires.

Either way, Tucker is getting paid a monstrous amount of money swing a bat at a ball. 

Lead photo by

Troy Taormina/Imagn Images