Unlike a vocal segment of the New York Mets fan base, club officials view their roster as strong. Reeling in a star like free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, however, would dramatically boost the team’s World Series odds.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Mets are among Tucker’s options, league sources confirmed. Jim Duquette, a former longtime executive working as a SiriusXM analyst, reported this week that while nothing appeared imminent, the three clubs are the most aggressive suitors.
The Mets’ preference is to offer a shorter contract length (probably less than four years) with a high annual average value. League sources expect the Blue Jays to go longer. Assuming they’ll act aggressively and given their history of swooping in and making deals with stars, the Dodgers loom as a contender.
People within the industry cautioned that it remains early for Tucker, 28; his market may further develop. At the start of the offseason, The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Tucker to land a deal for 12 years, $460 million. If not for injuries over the last couple of seasons, executives from different clubs surmised, Tucker landing north of $400 million would not be a question.
Discipline and rationality define the Mets’ offseason so far, but a path to landing a big-name free agent always existed. It has likely depended on the market developing to the Mets’ liking, meaning a star like Tucker perhaps taking a shorter deal.
Tucker entered the offseason as the best free agent because he is an elite hitter. Among position players since 2021, Tucker, a right fielder who bats from the left side, holds the 10th-best fWAR (23.4). Annually, Tucker ranks among the top hitters in on-base percentage, chase rate and whiff rate. Over the past three seasons, Tucker owns a slash line of .278/.380/.511 with a 150 OPS+.
Though they are in the mix, the Mets may not stand as the favorite to land Tucker. Some within the industry question whether he would want to play in the biggest market, and some executives view him as a better personality fit elsewhere. With the Mets, however, Tucker would be the third-biggest star, behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.
The on-paper fit with the Mets is obvious. They have a glaring hole in left field (and probably should add someone for center field, for that matter). The Mets could stand to be more right-handed in their lineup, but that stuff is secondary when it comes to possibly adding a player as talented as Tucker.
Some public numbers back up the belief from Mets officials that they are good. Betting odds offer the over/under for the Mets’ win total at 86.5. FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projects them as carrying the sixth-best WAR total. The Mets are expected to add, especially in their outfield, whether it’s with Tucker or someone else.
Even as constructed, though, club officials like their roster. They believe their defense has improved, particularly with Marcus Semien at second base and Brett Baty set to receive the runway at third base. They believe their pitching staff, with a full season of Nolan McLean and better health from Sean Manaea, should offer more consistency. They believe they can already surpass last year’s win total of 83 games.
Some fans do not share those beliefs. They are upset. After watching a team underachieve on a mind-bending level in 2025, they observed a front office ditch key players such as Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. They find the roster wanting. A splash like Tucker would do wonders to alter that perception.
The potential value goes well beyond impressions, though. Those same FanGraphs projections show a sizable difference between the defending champion Dodgers (51.2 fWAR) and everyone else, namely the Mets (43.4 fWAR).
Mets officials may end up being right. Maybe they are good. They may be good without Tucker. They may even be pretty good if they add a top starting pitcher plus modest lineup upgrades. With Tucker, however, the Mets would take a significant step in closing the gap between them and the Dodgers, and that is better than being good.