The Toronto Blue Jays are moving aggressively. Fresh off an American League title and a seven-game World Series loss to the Dodgers, Toronto is making a hard push for Kyle Tucker while trying to keep the door open for a Bo Bichette return.
On Sunday’s Front Office show, former MLB GM Jim Bowden put it simply: “They’re in on Tucker — boy, they are in.” He added that both Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are directly involved, the kind of top-level engagement that usually signals a real shot at closing.
Tucker is obviously the top-hitting free agent available.
Across 2025 with the Cubs, the 28-year-old hit .266 with 22 home runs, 73 RBIs and 25 steals, posting an .841 OPS and a 4.6 WAR season, the latest entry in a career that now sits at .273/.358/.507 with 147 homers. He continues to grade as one of the better outfield bats in the game in quality-of-contact metrics and overall offensive value, per Baseball Savant and FanGraphs.
Bichette, meanwhile, just reminded everyone why he was always viewed as a core piece. Before a PCL sprain shut him down in September, the 27-year-old led the majors in hits (181) and doubles (44) while hitting .311 with an .840 OPS, good for a 3.5 WAR season. It was a full rebound from his injury-troubled 2024 and reinforced his value as a contact-centric shortstop with gap power.
The financial piece is real but manageable. Toronto’s projected 2026 payroll sits around $193 million, placing them in the upper tier of MLB but still with room to maneuver under the highest competitive-balance tax thresholds. Their World Series run also generated significant revenue and leverage at the gate and in the media.
That’s why this winter feels like a fork in the road.
The Blue Jays can try to retain Bichette, bet on Tucker as a franchise bat, or attempt the kind of double swing that would define this era of club history. However they choose, they’ll be doing it in an AL East where the Yankees and Orioles are also hunting impact talent. Tucker and Bichette are not just stars — they’re the type of players who decide who stays on top of the league’s toughest division.
