The competition for Tucker is becoming clearer as he has already met with the Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Mets.

In the past week, Kyle Tucker’s free agent market status has become clearer. According to reports, the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets are currently the top three teams competing for this outfielder. MLB Network radio (SiriusXM) reporter Jim Duquette recently stated that Tucker has completed meetings, either in person or via video, with all three clubs.

Duquette was the first to point out last week that these three teams were Tucker’s most active suitors, a development later confirmed by several journalists including MLB insider Jon Heyman.

The Blue Jays have been the team most frequently linked to Tucker during the offseason. On January 6, The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reported that their pursuit is becoming “more aggressive.” Although the Blue Jays’ longtime starting shortstop Bo Bichette remains a free agent, the signing of infielder Kazuma Okamoto has significantly reduced the chances of renewing Bichette’s contract.

It is currently unclear whether the Blue Jays have had a second meeting with Tucker or plan to do so. In early December, Tucker personally visited the Blue Jays’ player development center in Dundee, Florida.

Industry consensus suggests that the Blue Jays are most likely to offer Tucker a long-term, lucrative contract, while the Dodgers and Mets prefer shorter deals with higher average annual salaries.

Having narrowly lost to the Dodgers in the World Series, the Blue Jays have been one of the most active teams this offseason, signing starting pitcher Dylan Cease (7 years, $210 million), Cody Ponce (3 years, $30 million), reliever Tyler Rogers (3 years, $37 million), and then securing Kazuma Okamoto on a 4-year, $60 million deal.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers, aiming for a three-peat, re-signed World Series Game 7 hero Miguel Rojas (1 year, $5.5 million) and added closer Edwin Díaz (3 years, $69 million).

The Mets brought in Marcus Semien, Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco, and Luke Weaver during the offseason, but their moves were marked more by losing key players such as Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Díaz.

Looking at the outfield plans for 2026, the Blue Jays and Dodgers appear to have a clearer need for Tucker’s position compared to the Mets. However, given the scale of the Mets’ offseason departures, they may face greater pressure in the Tucker pursuit than the other two teams.

Another outfielder, Cody Bellinger, adds uncertainty to the bidding for Tucker. Bellinger remains unsigned and is linked with the Mets, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. Although the Yankees have tried to retain Bellinger, reports from ESPN’s Buster Olney a few days ago indicate the Yankees have assumed Bellinger will sign elsewhere. It remains unclear whether the Yankees will shift focus to pursuing Tucker or concentrate on Bo Bichette, another free agent recently connected with them.

After being traded from the Astros to the Cubs in December 2024, Tucker played for Chicago in 2025. However, the Cubs have shown little interest in re-signing him, and following Alex Bregman’s recent 5-year, $175 million deal with the team, Tucker’s chances of returning to Chicago seem even slimmer.