Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Movement in Tucker’s market?
It’s been a fairly active week on the free agent market, but things have mostly been quiet surrounding star outfielder Kyle Tucker. That changed yesterday, however, when a report emerged that Tucker had visited the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. It’s the first known meeting between the winter’s top free agent and a team, and the news continues a trend of Toronto being by far the most aggressive team in baseball to this point in the offseason. Adding Dylan Cease to the rotation and Kyle Tucker to the lineup would be enough for a banner offseason by itself, to say nothing of the Jays’ deal with Cody Ponce or their reported pursuits of players like Bo Bichette and Pete Fairbanks, who are still on the market.
Does Tucker have other in-person visits lined up? Are the Jays preparing a formal offer? More details on his market could emerge in the near future.
2. Rays 40-man roster move incoming:
The Rays reached an agreement with outfielder Cedric Mullins on a one-year deal yesterday, adding to an outfield that was in desperate need of reinforcements beyond re-signing Jake Fraley shortly after his non-tender. Tampa Bay will need to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to accommodate Mullins. The most common way to accomplish that is simply by designating a player for assignment, but it’s also possible the Rays could look to work out a trade that clears 40-man roster space instead. Tampa Bay is hardly a stranger to the trade market, and players on the roster like Brandon Lowe are already garnering attention as potential trade pieces this winter.
3. Other signings to be made official:
Mullins isn’t the only reported deal that has yet to be made official. Deals between the Dodgers and Miguel Rojas, the Blue Jays and Cody Ponce, the White Sox and Anthony Kay, as well as the Reds and Emilio Pagan are all still pending physicals and will need to be formalized in the coming days. That’s in addition to the deal between the Astros and Ryan Weiss, which has still yet to be made official and (unlike Rojas, Ponce, Kay, and Pagan) will require a 40-man roster move on the part of Houston. With the Winter Meetings fast approaching, signings and the subsequently required 40-man roster maintenance necessary to accommodate those fresh deals will surely continue to pile up.
Toronto is looking like they’re the best team in the league and they want to stay there. All this endless drama needs to end sooner than later. The offseason has become tedious and tiresome. Thank you Blue Jays for getting things done.
Eh?
The best team in the league goes to the World Series. That’s how baseball works. The regular season is nice for stat geeks but winning when it counts is everything. That’s how baseball works. So Toronto is the best team in the AL.
The best team is the team who won the most regular season games imo. They won a 162 game round robin tournament. World Series winner only wins a dozen games?
whyhayzee:
You might be right about Toronto being the best team and even remaining the best team. However, remember the last four teams to go to the World Series represented by the AL were all different teams. So it doesn’t mean just because Toronto went to the World Series this past year and was the best AL team that they’re going to be next year.
@whyhayzee
The best team in the NL didn’t got to the World Series, though. Should have been Milwaukee vs. Toronto World Series this year not Dodgers.
@ohyea
Kind of. Those 162 games are not all the same. A lot of them are against teams with losing records and teams that wind up finishing 20+ games back in their division. You don’t have that luxury in the playoffs. You’re playing the best of the best or the hottest of the hottest.. those dozen or so Ws are much more difficult
Yep, the Brewers were so close to taking the Dodges down.
I agree, ohyeadam. Winning the division is the most difficult achievement in professional sports. It requires comparative excellence over the longest period and the most games. Winning a playoff series or the World Series requires only a hot streak, and just about every team has one or more of them in the course of a season.
Rotin, you said it yourself. The best of the best are there, they won their division or earned a WC. The real winner is whomever is hottest at the time. The best has already been proven. Everyone plays everyone in the regular season. Postseason play is the opposite of a grind. It’s designed for top heavy teams, hot teams. Regular season is about your whole team with enough of a grind to remove the hot/cold factor
@RotiniRick
Then what’s the point of the regular season? Dump it and just have all the teams play a playoff series throughout the summer. Last team standing wins. I’ve given up on caring about the regular season as it’s not really getting the best teams playing in the finals every year.
The best team finishes with the best record over 162 games.
The hottest playoff teams typically get to, and win the World Series.
Baseball is odd in that the game that’s played in the regular season looks very different in the playoffs with short series requiring less starters and changing the dynamics of the bullpen.
More often than not it’s not the best teams that make it to the World Series; it’s the team’s that get hot at the right time. It’s why 16 Wild Card teams have made it to the World Series and 8 of them have won Championships
The hottest team that made the playoffs goes to the World Series.
You couldn’t be more wrong. The regular season is a much larger sample size than the playoffs, so statistically it’s a much better indicator. The playoffs are often a complete crapshoot
real – Winning the division USED to be difficult. Now that it’s watered down to only 5 teams in each division, it’s not that hard to win a division title. We saw that last year with the ease in which a not-that-great Cleveland team came back to win the AL Central.
dam – Regular season is about depth, postseason is about starters with elite talent.
York – Regular season is about giving opportunity for fans to attend games. Dodgers pulled in 4M fans this year, that’s a lot of dough.
Lol. Since when are Las Vegas odds makers the biggest baseball experts?
Name the 5 please
Im curious who? They embarrassed the Yankees all year, Seattle is the only team who gave them a threat. Red Sox are a tier or 2 below and Detroit isn’t that great. KC should bounce back, Cle
sciss – I think it’s a tad bit early to make predictions, let’s see where all the remaining free agents sign and who else is traded.
@FPG…You’re being nice by saying a tad bit too early. About 3 months too early in fact.
paddyo – I’m being nice because I don’t want coal in my stocking ;O)
scissormetimbers: But that was last year. History shows that it’s a fallacy to assume that a team that won one year will win again the following season – with teams like the Dodgers being the exception that proves this rule.
hayzee – The Jays already were the best team in the league! Best regular season record and came within a run of winning the WS.
Everyone is gathering in Orlando this weekend, there will soon be much excitement.
Remember last year Soto agreed to his contract on the weekend prior to the official start of the Winter Meetings.
Which 5?
This should be interesting…
him: Yankees, Red Sox, Guardians, Astros, Mariners – all better. lol
Jays won more games last year, though with an ok, not great run differential.
They lost Bichette, Scherzer, and Bassitt.
They add Cease and Ponce plus Yesavage for 5 more months.
That is the best 1-7 rotation in MLB.
If they do nothing more, Santander returns healthy with his 114 ops+ to nearly replace Bichettes 121.
They are already better. The SPs $40 and raises will take care of the $60mm that came off the books, but it looks like Rogers will put out some more in for upgrades.
They definitely project to a WC and are probably now favorites for the division.
dave – I’ll bet the Guardians finish with a worse record than Toronto, but only if Clase & Ortiz have their suspensions overturned.
We get it, YAZ, your Red Sox aren’t going anywhere so you have to praise the Jays and put them on a pedestal because they’re the biggest reason the Yankees didn’t make the WS.
You need to be a case study.
That’s just crazy talk
whyhayzee: Lots of teams look good in December.
On paper, the Jays are currently the best team in the AL East if you consider that Cole and Rodon are going to start the season on the IL. That said, the Yankees haven’t done anything yet, and they will, and then when those two are healthy… we’ll see where things are.
Of course being a Mariners fan I would have to disagree with you. A Dan Wilson decision or one ball being an inch this way or that way was the only difference between the Jays making the WS over the Mariners. And on paper the Mariners were better. Just because the Jays had (was it 4 ?) more wins won’t convince me either that the Jays were the best AL team in 2025. At best, AT BEST, they may be tied. (But I’m a Mariners fan so I’m likely biased.) ::oo))
Tucker to Blue Jays interesting….and I’m a Yankee’s fan. The more competitive a Division is the better the chance for meaningful baseball in September/October.
Mike – If they sign Tucker, it’s probably to replace Bo’s offense therefore not a huge increase in team run production.
It’s a good point.
Yep. Honestly, the big wild card for an increase in Jays run production will be if Santander can return to 2024 form. Hell, if he can reach 75% of that, that’s still 30 home runs.
Tucker’s career 140 OPS+ is quite a bit higher than Bo’s 121. Last season Tucker was at 143 and Bo 129, not an insignificant difference.
If the Jays add Tucker and Bichette, the Yankees cannot compete with them. Hal is deciding competitive is too expensive these days. The Jays beat us 11 games to five. They are improving. We are significantly worse than last year. I see no joy in that as a Yankee fan.
Jays are the much better team.
So you’re a glass is half empty guy…..last year was last year….and nobody has won the WS based on paper…..a bunch of Jays had there best years last year, their rotation has taken a hit and the kid they just signed from the KBO SUCKED when he was in the MLB so he’s not a given….they’re looking to replace their closer…..and they may in fact lose Bo if they sign Tucker…..massive money being spend so good for them but to surrender the pennant in Dec. is a bit too early……
So “last year was last year” you say…if last year is irrelevant to this year, why are you also bringing up career years for some players (since it was last year) as well as Ponce being trash (3 years ago).
Also, how has the Rotation taken a hit when all that’s happened so far is the Jays swapping Bassitt and Scherzer for Cease and Ponce. Plus they didn’t lose Bieber
Austinmac: What makes you think it would be Tucker AND Bichette, not Tucker OR Bichette?
Yankees rely on too many older players to be their best players compared to other teams. It’s a risky strategy where injuries and age decline are real factors.
Jays mean business. Would rather have bo than tucker even if you obviously move him off SS. Tucker is gonna cost twice as much and that 2nd half would worry me if I was a big market fan.
Steve – You think Tucker will continue to be injured throughout his next contract?
That too😂
Tucker is going to cost twice as much….you’re dreaming…Bo isn’t coming close to the $300 million+ is going to cost to sign Tucker…..
rocky – Actually Tucker is projected for around $400K, but you’re right he will get double what Bo gets.
$400k? I think he’ll get at least $1m
Steven hempel: “Jays mean business.”
The dumbest, most trite cliché in the book. More than half the teams in MLB “mean business” in the offseason.
The Jays got hot at the right time. But that pennant-winning team from 2025 no longer exists. Anybody in the division can win it with good moves and a little luck.
Thank you ….Nobody has ever won the WS on paper as many are touting the Jays….they’ve got plenty of holes and while these expensive signings look great….they don’t always provide success…..the AL East is a beast….no givens as far as clear cut winners…
Hot from June to October? Lol
denis – Hot at the right time?
They were 14 over .500 in the first half, 12 over in the second half, and 10-8 in the postseason.
They were consistently good all year.
Ryan Weiss had his contract announced first, and will be made official last.
LOL
If the Jays get both Tucker and Bichette, it’s over in that division barring injury.
No it isn’t…the AS East is a beast and there are 4 other teams that would beg to differ…….
So is “getting hot at the right time” just merely random, luck, destiny, or some other explanation? And winning championships is not about being the best team but it’s “getting hot at the right time”? Honestly, this is just a cop out. Yes, there are lots of factors, but if you’re not going to say that the team who wins is the best team, then don’t bother and waste our time with the postseason. Because you somehow already know who is the best team? Come on. It either counts or it doesn’t. You don’t get to decide after the fact.
You’re just a Red Sox homer. Quit your Jays worship. Go back to the Red Sox homerism and Yankees-bashing, YAZ.
Who made you the baseball sage there why……this site is meant for back and forth commentary…..
The playoffs exist to make money for the league and their advertisers. It’s the same for all American sports. The truest way to name a champion is to send the team with the best record from each league to the World Series as they used to in baseball. A lot of— if not most—other sports leagues around the world crown their champions by who has the top record at the end of the season. But it’s also less entertaining than having playoffs.
Endless drama? Offseason/winter meetings are tedious and tiresome? Huh? Bro you are on the wrong site!! You are looking for the 15 second Tik Tok dance vids not mlbtraderumors! LOL
Toronto is ruining the game.
Ah yes. Teams that are trying to win by following the same rules that every other team plays by are ruining the game.
Nope. Hate the game (CBA structure), not the players.
Uh, that was my smart a** response to all those who chastise the Dodgers for having the audacity to improve their team.
life long Dodgers fan here –
I have enormous respect for the 2025 Jays. Great team. Most competitive WS in years. In my opinion both teams in that series were the best in their leagues. But not by a lot. Foe example, Seattle came within a hair of wining the ALCS.
That said, 2026 needs to be played. The Jays are making some great early moves. But there are some excellent free agents in play and then there are the Japanese posted players. Once the season starts there is luck and injuries changing the field of play. then mid season trades. I would welcome a rematch in 2026. But both teams have to earn it.
I’m not a Jays fan but I admire their “go for it” approach. Really admire it. Still need a closer I imagine.
I dont think the best team label has to be about being a single thing, the hot team, the division winner, who won the most games.
What we absolutely cant do is pretend Vegas odds mean who is best. Vegas odds are determined by who people will bet on. Yankees and Buffalo Bills always low odds because people want to bet money on them.
Regular season means something, division win matters. But it sure cant be everything. Billy Beane had people writing books about him because hey games won and low budget but we learned walks for guys who cant hit too well mean nothing except 87 to 94 wins and then you get your head taken off in the playoffs when elite talent scores runs and your team takes a walk and cant hit them in. The Braves won the division a million years in a row and won the World Series once in that time. So cant crown a division winner the best.
You have to win to get in. That is important. You get points for that. But then you have to perform. Sometimes luck is involved and sometimes its good or bad timing with streaks. But the Billy Beane walk teams, those were flawed and not the best teams. The current Yankees, they may be able to slice and dice the AL Central opponents but after the Yesavage game you saw the weaknesses with guys who struggle to make contact while the Blue Jays, they made contact and it mattered. If they keep Bellinger and add bat to ball low K hitters they could the team. The Os in 23 24 won a lot of games but not sure they had a lead once. In 24 played two playoff games and scored 1 run. If you have a team that cant translate the regular season success to postseason success that isnt a very good team or the best team.
At this moment, I would say the Blue Jays look like the best team. But they have to play the games. You look at what teams were and what was subtracted or added and close to noone in the AL has made much of an addition. Seattle keeping Naylor I think is very positive. Toronto adding Cease while presently not retaining Bichette seems to balance out. But Ponce may matter. It adds to the strength of the team. Agree that Yesavage for a full season could matter an absolute ton. So keeping score on paper TOR is ahead today. If Kyle and/or Bo were signed it would be a much more convincing lead. Their willingness to continue to players who would demand big dollars says something. Still very early.
Let’s not overreact. Tucker is from the Tampa area. A trip to the Jays’ Dunedin facility is like going to the grocery store. If the Jays trained in AZ, query whether he makes the trip and whether someone leaks it for a headline (might Casey Close have been trying to get the Mets and Dodgers nervous?)
The team that wins the LCS isn’t necessarily the best team in the league, just the hottest. There’s been a lot of examples of teams that weren’t necessarily a real good team, but they got hot at the right time and parlayed it into a championship.
He’d be the perfect replacement for Springer down the road. I can’t imagine the price would be prohibitive for Tucker. Unless Tucker prices himself too very high, it would seem like a good fit there.
That’s the biggest thing to happen in Dunedin FL since Ohtani visited during his free agency. Aside from the fact it gave Tucker a reason to get out of bed early and grab a coffee in Dunedin, it was suppose to signal impending doom to Scott Boras and Bo Bichette. “We’re about to sign Tucker, so you better get moving in our direction, Bo – because Kyle Tucker is at the Training Center.”
Boras to Tucker, “ Jays want to sign you for $40M AAV What should I tell them?”
Tucker: “Not so fast, Scott. They promised me a Training Center tour!”