The saying goes, it’s not about what you know, but who you know. That may very well be the case for the Toronto Blue Jays this winter, as former Houston Astros teammates George Springer and Kyle Tucker were spotted in attendance at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, to watch Tuesday’s TGL matchup.
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Now, this could simply be two friends getting together during the offseason. But many fans will wonder and speculate whether the golf event serves as a recruitment meeting for Tucker, who is the crown jewel of this year’s free agent class.
Tucker is poised to earn a significant contract this offseason, and the World Series runner-ups are the favorites to land the superstar outfielder.
The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reported Toronto’s pursuit of Tucker has intensified recently, but money will be the final factor in orchestrating a blockbuster deal for the highly coveted 28-year-old.
“The Jays, as reported in early December, invited Tucker to tour the franchise’s development complex in Florida. Players, including Guerrero and Myles Straw, have commented on Tucker’s social media posts all winter, too. But Toronto’s recent recruitment of Tucker, a league source said, has been more aggressive,” Bannon writes.
“Ultimately, money will be the biggest part of Toronto’s pitch to the former Cubs and Astros outfielder. Currently, Toronto’s projected collective bargaining tax payroll sits above $304 million, according to Cot’s Baseball, easily the highest mark in franchise history. With the final CBT threshold set at $304 million, every dollar the Jays now add to payroll will be taxed at a 90 percent rate. The Jays have clearly been given ownership clearance to spend more than ever before, further investing after a $500 million extension to Guerrero earlier this year. Signing Tucker would raise the payroll even higher.”
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins himself shared that the team would get creative in their approach this winter as they prepare to make another deep playoff run in 2026.
“If there’s an opportunity for us to think about improving the organization, we’re going to always lean into creative ways to do so,” Atkins said.
Perhaps the golf event is Toronto’s “creative way” of recruiting Tucker and ultimately improving the organization.
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