Blue Jays Reportedly Offered 10-Year, $350MM Deal To Kyle Tucker

"Kyle Tucker's four-year, $240MM contract with the Dodgers ended an intriguing trip through free agency for the outfielder, as Tucker opted for a shorter-term deal with an extremely high average annual value and some built-in flexibility (opt-outs after the 2027 and 2028 seasons) over a longer-term pact. Multiple reports suggested that Tucker's only true long-term offer on the table came from the Blue Jays, and the New York Post's Jon Heyman writes that the terms of Toronto's offer were $350MM over ten years."

"This is more in line with the 11-year, $400MM projection that MLB Trade Rumors predicted for Tucker at the start of the offseason. That price tag was naturally going to keep many teams out of the bidding from the onset, but even among the larger-market teams, there seemed to be a reluctance to give Tucker a long-term commitment - perhaps due to the injuries that cost him time over the last two seasons, and contributed to his second-half slump with the Cubs last year."

"The Mets were Tucker's other primary suitor but New York was reportedly only willing to offer a frontloaded four-year deal worth $220MM with multiple opt-outs. In terms of pure dollars, the $350MM would've tied for the seventh-priciest deal in baseball history, and only 15 contracts have ever topped a $35MM average annual value. It would've been the largest free agent deal in Blue Jays history but not their largest contract altogether, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s 14-year, $500MM extension from last spring takes that title."

Kyle Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers, prioritizing a shorter-term deal with a very high average annual value and opt-outs after 2027 and 2028. Toronto reportedly offered $350 million over ten years, while MLBTR projected an 11-year, $400 million estimate at the offseason's start. Concerns about injuries and a second-half slump with the Cubs reduced long-term interest from many teams. The Mets reportedly offered a frontloaded four-year, $220 million deal with opt-outs. A $350 million offer would have tied for the seventh-priciest deal in baseball and marked the largest free-agent deal in Blue Jays history.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors