It’s shaping up to be another offseason where the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be linked to all sorts of talent on the free-agent market.
Unlike past years, however, they now boast a recent run to the World Series to sell free agents on. It should, at the very least, garner them some respect when it comes to trying to lure in the best talent available.
This year, the biggest name on the open market is Kyle Tucker. The 28-year-old four-time All-Star is expected to get pursued by plenty of teams this offseason. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays are considered the favourites to land him.
“The Blue Jays, coming off their first World Series berth in more than three decades, have no plans to slow down,” Passan wrote on Tuesday. “They are considered the favourite by other executives to land Tucker.”
In what was considered a down year, Tucker still managed a .266 average with 22 home runs and 73 RBI in 136 games. Adding his left-hand bat to the lineup would immediately give the Jays another powerful threat to help support Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Passan also went on to say that if Tucker were no longer available, the Blue Jays also have interest in Cody Bellinger. The 2019 NL MVP, who also bats left-handed, hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI for the New York Yankees this past season.
Whether this leads to anything for the Blue Jays remains to be seen, but there is no doubt their stock is up around the league thanks to their lengthy playoff run. It’s now on management to improve this roster even further, and it sounds as though they are determined to do just that.
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