Overview
- ESPN’s Paul Hembekides floated two structures for Tucker: a one-year, $52 million deal with a player option for a second year, or a two-year, $43 million-per-season deal with a later player option that could extend to two more years.
- MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes notes that most 8-plus-year free-agent contracts finalize in December, so reaching January without an agreement increases the likelihood of a shorter-term outcome.
- Luxury-tax projections suggest the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, and Mets would face a 110% tax on a short, high-AAV salary in 2026, with the Blue Jays at a 90% bracket, steering attention to clubs with lighter tax exposure such as the Cubs, Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, and Giants.
- The Blue Jays hosted Tucker for an in-person meeting on December 3 in Dunedin, which manager John Schneider called productive as he praised the outfielder’s fit with Toronto’s plans.
- Tucker remains unsigned after initial expectations of an 11-year deal in the $400 million range, despite a résumé that includes four All-Star selections and at least 22 home runs in each of the past five seasons.