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How will Bregman’s new deal affect the Blue Jays pursuit of Tucker/Bellinger/Bichette?
The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to follow up a great 2025 regular season with a great offseason. So far, they have been able to add Kazuma Okamoto, Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers to their MLB 40-man roster. However, they have yet to acquire one of the big domestic bats. At various points during the current offseason, they have been linked to Ketel Marte, Yoan Moncada, Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger, and Alex Bregman.
MLB insider Jon Heyman was one of the first to break the news of Bregman signing a new deal with the Chicago Cubs. The deal is worth $175 million for five years. According to Jeff Passan, the deal includes a full no-trade clause and no opt-outs. Ken Rosenthal also reports that the deal includes deferrals. Rosenthal reports that $70 million of the $175 million will be deferred.
Now that Bregman has signed a big deal, things are expected to heat up. The Blue Jays were considering Bregman and must now turn elsewhere. Following the Bregman signing, some big predictions were made involving Tucker, Bellinger, Bichette, and where each of them will sign.
According to this report, Tucker will sign with the Blue Jays, Bellinger with the New York Yankees, and Bichette with the Boston Red Sox.
Toronto Blue Jays Predicted to Sign Kyle Tucker
X user MoccBomb recently shared a post that should pique the interest of baseball fans.
“Sources: Execs expect the offensive market to move very quickly now,” MoccBomb wrote late on January 10th, 2026. “Been told by one high-ranking exec many teams believe the dominos will fall as such: BlueJays —> Tucker. Yankees —> Bellinger. RedSox —> Bichette.”
Predicting that the Blue Jays will sign Tucker isn’t anything new. Toronto has been seen as a favorite to add him to their roster since he visited their Florida Complex several weeks ago. However, until he puts ink to pen, anything could happen.
ESPN insider Buster Olney reported that things were at a standstill between the Yankees and Bellinger. He revealed how these conversations will expand the Yankees’ search for their own big bat.
“The Yankees were hoping to re-sign the veteran outfielder, who played well for them last season, but are now operating under the assumption that Bellinger is going to sign elsewhere,” Olney wrote on January 10, 2025. “New York is now seeking additions elsewhere, sources added. The Yankees have remained engaged in the conversations for outfielder Kyle Tucker and infielder Bo Bichette.”
“They have also engaged other teams about trade possibilities.”
Having the Yankees engaged with Tucker shouldn’t be a massive concern for the Blue Jays. Bellinger was seen as a more complete player compared to Tucker in the Yankees’ eyes, which should keep Toronto as the frontrunners.
Bo Bichette Predicted to Sign with Boston Red Sox
Bichette has been linked to several teams this winter. In addition to the Blue Jays being in the mix to bring him back, the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Yankees, and Red Sox.
Bichette has already had a meeting with the Red Sox, but is now heading towards a meeting with the Phillies on Monday. It’s always interesting to note what executives believe will happen, given the information they encounter daily.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has speculated that Tucker and Bellinger are “not fits” with the Red Sox. He cites the Red Sox’s “surplus of left-handed hitting outfielders” as the primary reason.
Still, it’s hard not look at a reunion with the Blue Jays or joining Don Mattingly with the Phillies as the two frontrunners for Bichette’s bat.
How the Alex Bregman Deal Will Impact Tucker, Bichette, Bellinger
The biggest ripple effect of this Bregman deal will likely be contract dollars. Bregman turns 32 this March, Bellinger is 30, Bichette is 27, and Tucker turns 29 on January 17th.
If Bregman signed a $175 million deal, how much will the other three free agents earn? Considering that they are all at least two years younger than Bregman, it should signal a few things.
For starters, Bellinger, Tucker, and Bichette will all get big paydays. And secondly, Bregman’s deal has set the benchmark, and now the agents and teams have solid figures to work with and compare.
Now, baseball fans wait to see which predictions come to pass.
Caleb Kerney Caleb covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has covered professional hockey since 2022, including bylines at Dobber Prospects, The Hockey Writers, and The Hockey News. More about Caleb Kerney
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