According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have “checked in” on free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker. The four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner is MLBTR’s top free agent.
Much speculation has linked Tucker to the Mets this offseason, and it isn’t difficult to see why. According to RosterResource, Steve Cohen’s club ran payrolls of $346MM, $336MM, and $340MM in 2023, ’24, and ’25, respectively. Currently, their projected payroll for 2026 sits at just $294MM. That means president of baseball operations David Stearns should have at least $40 million left to spend. He’s already made some additions, namely, signing Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver, and trading for Marcus Semien. However, considering all the players the Mets have lost or dealt away, including Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil, and considering how they missed the playoffs in such heartbreaking fashion last September, Stearns has more work to do. Surely, he didn’t sign Juan Soto to a record-smashing contract last season just to sit on his hands a year later.
If Stearns wants to make a big splash, there’s no better way to do so than by signing the top free agent on the market. The Mets are reportedly hesitant to sign a starting pitcher to a long-term contract this winter. What’s more, Heyman notes that Tucker’s presumably high asking price is why Cody Bellinger remains their preferred outfield target. That said, it would be foolish to count the Mets of all teams out of the Tucker sweepstakes for financial reasons. They could give him the 11-year, $400MM contract MLBTR predicted at the beginning of the offseason ($36.4MM AAV), and their payroll would still be lower than it’s been in any of the past three seasons.
What’s more, the Mets have a clear opening for Tucker in their lineup after parting with Nimmo. Right now, RosterResource has Carson Benge penciled in as New York’s starting left fielder. Benge is a consensus top-100 prospect, and it’s apparent how highly the Mets value him. He is thought to be all but untouchable in trade talks this winter, and Stearns has previously suggested he’ll have an opportunity to make the big league roster out of spring training. Yet, Benge is only 22 and completely unproven at the MLB level. It’s hard to think that a team with World Series aspirations would let him get in the way of its signing a proven star like Tucker – especially since the Mets have already been connected to Bellinger. To that point, the Mets are thought to prefer to add a right-handed bat to their lineup, but their interest in the lefty-batting Bellinger suggests handedness won’t be a dealbreaker. Benge, for what it’s worth, also bats from the left-hand side. Besides, Tucker’s career numbers against southpaw pitching (133 wRC+, .842 OPS) are almost as impressive as his numbers with the platoon advantage (141 wRC+, .877 OPS). There’s no good reason why his left-handedness should get in the way of a deal.
Back in November, MLBTR’s Steve Adams listed the Mets as a “likely suitor” for Tucker’s services. Two weeks ago, nearly 20,000 MLBTR readers voted on where they thought Tucker would sign, and the Mets received the third-most support (15.23%), just ahead of the Yankees (10.09%) and trailing only the Blue Jays (40.22%) and Dodgers (15.55%). So, it didn’t come as any surprise on Thursday afternoon when Heyman confirmed that the Mets have indeed expressed at least some degree of interest. They join the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Orioles as teams with reported interest in the star outfielder, although Baltimore was linked to him before signing Alonso. Other teams that could be good fits include the Dodgers and Giants; Heyman notes that “all big-market teams” have checked in on Tucker, although the Yankees and Mets are the only ones he mentions by name.
Mets for clicks. This benign statement will of course be recycled into 500 clickbait articles. Heyman inching dangerously close to being TWSN
Cubs and Nets have been checking in on everyone this offseason. We should all do a wellness check on our friends.
The Brooklyn Nets are looking to sign baseball players? How innovative.
Probably wouldn’t hurt them.
Jets are as well!
Knew this was Heyman before even clicking, haha.
What a headline!!! I’m not even a Mets fan and I clicked on it !!! MLBTR has me trained well. [Now I must mindlessly refresh my screen praying for news on Marte to the M’s.)
Ok Mr. Met has now awoken!!!
The Yankees should check in on Tucker also
Kyle Tucker (making a lot of noise in the bathroom).
Stearns (knocks on door): You okay in there?
Kyle Tucker: yeah.
Stearns: Okay, just checking in on you.
I came here to post something I thought would be funny, but this comment is far funnier than what I was thinking about. Hats off to you sir XD.
who does number 2 work for?
You are number 6,
I am not a number I am a free man.
Number two works for bloating.
How about a courtesy flush in there?
Hi, Kyle, this is David Stearns of the Mets.
*click*….. buzzzzzz
The Mets are ruining baseball.
In Queens, maybe
Touché.
Ehhh they haven’t deferred over 1 billion and signed every star Japanese player to have been posted away from the likes of the blue jays and other teams competing in the bidding. Mets just spend and pay penalties, they didnt dodge CBA agreements with loopholes like certain billionaires do on their taxes and get other teams to lobby for a salary cap and floor. Which will more than likely lead to a strike or play stoppage next CBA agreement, that was the Dodgers who turned into the Yankees of the mid to late 1990s, we all know who to blame when the strike happens. The Mets who always miss the playoffs are kinda a running joke
Lemme guess…another sad, tormented, jealous Giants fan with zero sense of humor.
Nah, just another completely ignorant fan making embarrassingly clueless speeches.
So you’re saying they haven’t been the smartest team who play by the same set of rules everyone else does?
PREACH
There is the opportunity for all teams to play within the same set of rules, which is not to be confused with the vast disparities in market dynamics.
My Phillies can operate in a way that the Marlins and Pirates et al can only dream of, just as the Dodgers and Yankees and Mets can dip into a far deeper well than even the next tier teams. It is hardly a crime to point out the built-in advantages of the big markets vs. the field. One can still appreciate the fact that the Dodgers have also been effective in their approach in recent years.
Every team plays by the same set of rules because these are the rules they made for themselves to play by. The perpetual whiners refuse to acknowledge this blindingly obvious point. If the Dodgers are making more use of these deals, it is perhaps because they have greater confidence in being able to make a better return on the salaries they are borrowing back from the players than they will have to pay out on them with interest when they become payable.
I agree with you Carver.
My only issue is when someone wants to use the blender/all of the above arguments in regards to what’s wrong with the system or what team(s) are doing.
Deferrals is it’s own thing.
Having more revenue to spend is another.
Having a strong farm system.
Cultivating a relationship with other cultures (Japan, Latin countries)
Etc, etc
I’m open to talking about legitimate issues in the sport. But I won’t entertain the all of the above arguments that can have no answer due to the very nature of the argument itself.
Well said. My coworkers constantly complain about the Dodgers spending. I tell them to take a look at the Mets, Phillies, Yankees, Padres, Rangers, and see how many championships they have in the last 15 years. Hint: it’s the same amount as the dodgers have in the last year 😉
The dodgers are incredibly rich not just in money but in their farm system, their coaching, and their culture. They’ve been proving this for the last 12 or so years
Perhaps I am wrong but you seem to be very resistant to the fact that the largest markets have a huge advantage, although certainly some ownership groups fail to use those advantages to the best of their abilities (Ricketts is a terrific example; Arte Moreno, etc.).
It is okay to give credit to the Dodgers for figuring this out under the Guggenheim Partners ownership – they have oodles of cash flow and ridiculously deep pockets and connections to utilize in every way and they work them well.
But it is knee-jerk silliness to pretend that bottom tier markets have nearly as much in the “trust fund” to have any shot to operate in nearly the same way, no matter how efficient and creative and intelligent that they might be. Nor is it sensible to pretend that the mid-tier and above markets can do the same thing either. So enjoy the success but perhaps just be a bit less myopic when it comes to an equitable playing field.
Carver: Not sure to whom your comment is addressed, but I don’t know anyone who resists or denies the idea that large market teams have a competitive advantage. So this is a straw man argument, really.
My response to this point: We should recognize that the team owners and team fans have different objectives. Fans like to see their team win. The owners like to see their team make a profit. The MLB financial system is designed to do the latter, not the former. The small market teams mind the imbalance a lot less than you imagine, because so much of the revenue is shared with them. They don’t even have to spend it. Their profitability is virtually guaranteed.
If this financial system isn’t entirely fan-friendly, then blame it on the owners. It may be a tough pill to swallow, but it is still true that MLB has the financial system it wants. And we know this because they alone designed it.
The small market teams mind the imbalance a lot less than you imagine,
=========================
That’s why I see no labor issues. The big-market teams will have no interest in a cap. The small-market teams will have no interest in a floor. And the mid-market teams figure that the big 4 are probably kicking in $350M+ in tax revenue.
Carver, I’m not resistant to facts. Large market teams have more revenue to spend. How they allocate these funds ranges from extremely smart (Dodgers) to extremely wasteful (Angels).
Teams in smaller markets don’t have as much revenue (not including revenue sharing), so they need to optimize their organizations and processes to maximize results. I would include Milwaukee, and historically the Rays, as being good examples.
There are many poorly run organizations out there, rich and less rich owners, big and small market, etc.
If Milwaukee fans want to complain the playing field needs to be level, I’m here for it. They have completely optimized their organization, and extra money to spend is the only way to improve things.
But when you get the Pirates and even Cubs fans complaining, and it’ll fall on deaf ears. The Pirates have existed as a cheap owner team who doesn’t optimize much of anything for a long time. The Cubs are a larger market team (not quite on the scale of Dodgers or Yankees admittedly), but overall (aside from a small period) they have been a much less efficient organization than Milwaukee, or many other teams.
Those teams are just not as well run as many other teams. And money won’t change it. Blame the owner, not the game.
They may be ruining baseball, but they sure aren’t ruining comedy…or the art of being used as clickbait.
The Dodgers have already ruined baseball.
99, Everyone thought the Yankees ruined baseball a few decades ago. Apparently baseball is still ok, because the Dodgers are running it now?
Ruining
Tucker is fool’s gold. The peripheral numbers aren’t trending in the right direction. he’s been, prior to this year, a relatively healthy and above average player. But trending downward. This smells of a paying for prior results and receiving 1/2 of that.
Yep! The Mets can have him. Actually, they deserve each other.
That’s generous, we’ll be happy to accept him.
Tucker has five straight years with 4.5 or more WAR.
He should be treated as an injury prone elite player.
If I am the Blue Jays or Dodgers, I would offer him five years, $155 million, with an opt-out available after years 3 and 4. But only if I am a win-now team and I am not sure the Mets are one of those. Maybe the Cubs, Yankees or Phillies.
Baseball America questions his bat speed, saying it has declined and is now no better than normal, and will continue to decline. You have to put on rose-colored glasses and squint to make him look like a star. He had some good years for sure. He literally was taken out of the lineup and sat, in 2025.
Exactly. Before the broken hand last year he did .950 OPS over his last 162. With speed and average defense that’s 8 WAR. But the injuries are real.
He’s Queen’s bound for $305M over 8 years
I think he would take 10 years at $300 million with no opt-outs. Not a year ago, but now. I just don’t think anyone will offer it.
That’s why I see 5 years at $155 with an opt-out after years 2,3 and 4, maybe even after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
wRC+ the last 5 years: 146 130 139 179 136. Seems like a pretty damn good player based on those numbers
Tucker is definitely more of a risk than I want the Mets to take, unless they get him on a high-AAV deal for like 3 years. I am all for signing PREMIUM talent to long-term contracts, but Tucker’s underlying metrics are not screaming “sign me to an 8yr deal!” The Mets would have been better to sign Schwarber or re-sign Alonso to help fill the gaping holes in their lineup downgrading 2B, LF, and 1B.
What kind of a lowlife do you have to be to take on Joaquin Guzman’s nickname? To willingly associate yourself with someone that is responsible for the violent deaths of more than 30,000 people and hundreds of thousands more worldwide through drug addiction? That is what smells here.
Do you really think he’s above average? Don’t go making wild statements, now.
Prefer a RHed bat but Tucker would help any team’s lineup. I am still holding out hope that they can convince Bichette to move to LF.
If Bichette struggles to throw anyone out from SS how is he going to throw anyone out from LF?
Since when did LF need a strong arm?
Why Bichette for LF when he can slide into 3B?
You generally need a great arm to be a good defensive third baseman. If Bichette’s arm is questionable for shortstop, why would it be sufficient for third base?
Bichette’s arm cannot play 3B.
Surely not without being attached to the rest of his body.
I would give almost ANYTHING for baseball writers across all platforms and news organizations to use a different noun or adjective than “sweepstakes” or “derby” to characterize or define teams’ pursuits of free agents. Those words are so trite. Yes, I’m also a journalist. Yes, I’m a teacher. No, I don’t have a stick you know where, and YES, I’m fun at parties.
@metsfangil – But you should not let this raffle your feathers…
I’m partial to an extravaganza myself.
You should be happy Heyman spelled the words correctly. He barely can read.
I propose a swap. The baseball writers can start using “Contest” and Tim Dierkes can then name our favorite offseason activity the MLBTR Free Agent “Derby” or “Sweepstakes”.
I believe “Derby” would be a home run as the new contest name. 🙂
The word, “frenzy”, would not actually apply in this case.
That’s cordial of them to check in.
If the Mets sign Tucker them maybe they are going all in and will offer a godfather deal to the Tigers to try and pry Skubal loose. He’d be a clear upgrade to their staff as a #1 starter and with Tucker in tow Benge and Jett are expendable. I still think Detroit would want MacLean but maybe Tong and Sproat would do it. Doubtful all around but who knows with Cohen.
“with Tucker in tow Benge and Jett are expendable”
I think only one would be expendable in that scenario. Soto in RF, Tucker in LF. I don’t think they want Tyrone Taylor as the full time CF. One of Benge or Jett would need to stick around.
I think their interest in Tucker goes as far as Benge’s ability to play CF. Or maybe Soto’s willingness to DH.
I disagree, Mets aren’t trying to enter the season with Semien in the two hole.
Lindor, Soto, Tucker is as good as it gets.
Polanco, Vientos, Baty could be good in the middle.
Semien, Alvarez, Benge could be a good 7/8/9.
Tucker has to be high on the Met’s wish list. They need a big bat.
The back end of their bullpen looks weak but easier to piece that together in spring / in season.
Vientos would bat 10th.
You’ve got to be high!!!
It’ll take three Benges just to start the discussion onSkubal … He’s a multiple times Cy Winner and tgst means in any Best of three playoffs, Detroit wins, as with any Best of Five… Good night to any Skubal discussion, besides, any trade goes through the Dodgers first… You’re a dreamer!!!
I think he just proposed a core package of Benge, Williams, Tong, and Sproat.
The Mets are not dealing their 2, 3, 4 & 5 prospects in one fell swoop for a rental. No one does that.
Horaceallen…yes that is what I was suggesting. I’ve seen variations of that one floating around. Doubtful it happens but for owners who might spring for it my money is on Cohen.
All I have to say is…Cohen. He has made some over the top moves aimed at winning as recently as last years Soto signing and he outranks Stearns. The Mets owner is a wild card.
@Motor City: Trading away prospects has not been on the Mets plans since Cohen took over. Why trade away young, cost-controlled talent when you can just buy free agents? Only meaningful prospect package since the PCA deal in 2021 is the Drew Gilbert trade, and he was not a top 5 prospect in their system. Fringe top 100 at best. The deal proposed above has four top 100 prospects. Out of character for Cohen/Stearns.
Stearns 100% agree. Cohen just seems like a live wire, although point taken re prospects. Very doubtful he gets traded anyway. No one would pay what Detroit is supposedly asking for. Cheers
The Mets had one of the worst farm systems when Cohen bought the team. Through spending money on MLB talent and then trading them away they have built a strong farm system with 4 players in the top 50, all of whom are close to MLB ready. Cohen told everyone that was listening that the plan was to do exactly that.
Now they are in a position that if there is a great MLB player with several years of team control on the trade market, they have the prospect talent to go after them.
There is no way Stearns would decimate their farm system in one trade. Especially not for a rental.
Skubal is a special talent, but he will be a FA at the end of 2026 and will be looking at a $40 million AAV if he continues to pitch like he has the last couple of seasons. No GM would trade away 4 top 100 prospects for 1 season of a guy that you have no way to guarantee will sign with you beyond that.
For Skenes a 4 for 1 trade with 2 or 3 being top 100 prospects would be necessary. Not for Skubal.
Skenes would cost way more than what you are outlining. As for Skubal the articles I’ve read talk about Detroit asking for this type of package. The chan es of someone giving that up are slim at best. Temember, prospects fail all the time. Tecent past…Baltimore picked up two top 100’s plus for Burnes…neither one turned into a superstar.
Right. There’s every reason to believe that the Mets hesitancy to sign a SPer to a long term deal this winter may very well be because they are waiting till Skubal is a FA a year from now.
Let’s not forget he’s got Boras whispering in his ear.
He’s also a rental that’s gonna command a massive contract which hurts his trade value.
The Dodgers have interesting pieces too but a Benge, Jett, Tong, Sprout package allows Detroit to fill all their holes with long term solutions and compete for the playoffs this year. Then they can spend some cash on Valdez or Suarez too for way cheaper. Personally I hope they keep him.
I believe I once saw a Skin-e-max film years ago titled, “The Benge Jett Tong Sprout Package”, and it was a classic!
If Stearns traded all of that for one year of Skubal, he should be fired instantly for malpractice.
But he wouldn’t be allowed to do something like that without Cohen’s consent.
The second thing I will say is that prospects don’t always turn into stars or even useful players. I’d be surprised if two of those four ended up as key pieces of a team. The positive Soto trade to Washington is not the norm. Detroit has a couple great examples: the prospects sent to Florida for Cabrera never amounted to anything (for Florida/Miami); the highly rated prospects the Tigers got back for Verlander amounted to a backup catcher.
The last thing is that Detroit has set the bar THAT high in their ask. Thats what they are supposedly asking for. I highly doubt Stearns would do it. Cohen…he seems to be the wild card but I expect he’d follow Stearns lead. If Harris did it, he is playing poker because the Tigers are a worse team short term and if the prospects don’t develop, then they could be worse long term. We as fans overvalue our prospects. Look back at a top 100 list from 5 years ago and see how many actually became useful players.
I hope the Tigers keep Skubal. Cheers
Every player of value was a prospect. Some do flame out, but that doesn’t mean you deplete the system for rentals.
I am philosophically opposed to buying rental players for significant prospects. Last years trade deadline proved me right. Mets have nothing to show for the deadline deals.
Skubal will be a FA. He will get paid and will give no discounts to the “home” team.
Plus, Mets aren’t close enough to warrant that expenditure of prospects.
I agree with you. It would be a hard pill to swallow for a rental and to me it would not make sense, but that is the type of ask Detroit is making. The only teams I could see going there would do so for different reasons: Mets (Cohen loses his mind to get a #1 starter); SD (Preller goes all Preller); Dodgers (so no one else can have nice toys). No one will do it. Cheers dude
As a #1 starter, Tarik Skubal would “be a clear upgrade to any MLB staff aside from the Pirates. This would be especially true with the Mets.
If a trade materializes between the two clubs in the wake of Kyle Tucker signing with the Mets, the Tigers will most certainly demand top prospect Carson Benge in return along with at least one of New York’s top MLB ready arms to help replace Skubal.
I am absolutely not selling the farm for a rental. They are not close enough to go all in. And I would rather bank on better defense improving performance compared to the second half results Senga, Peterson and Holmes had.
But is that how your owner Cohen feels? He has already gone big a couple times. Trying to predict him is like trying to predict Preller in SD!
All the more reason to wait for FA and negotiate with Boras if you really do want him that bad. I 100% say if we trade from our prospect wealth it’s only for young controllable talent
All of these players are holding up again there hasn’t been much free agent activity recently so this might go on for a while
Tucker, Bichette, belly, bregman, Valdez could go to February
Cohens limo rolls down the window as Tuckers limo pulls up next to it and says “Excuse me sir but do you have any grey poupon”
Heyman watches from the bushes
Let’s just hope that we don’t get any further information on Heyman’s activities in said bushes.
Still looking for Arson Judge
Stearns: Hey, Tucker’s agent, is your client interested in a 3 year deal yet? No? Have a nice day.
This is Heyman reporting nothing.
Tucker was so bad second half and has struggled to stay healthy recently so i think 11/400 feels like a big stretch now.
Yup. Mets didn’t dump Nimmo’s bad contract just to clog the OF back up with Tucker for 11 years.
It was a big stretch before too, actually.
I am once again asking you to learn what BABIP is.
Tucker was not “so bad” in the second half. He was extremely *unlucky* and still produced decent outcomes.
@sorengo99
Tucker’s seasonal BABIP for 2025 was .282. His career number is .284. Overall, he neither suffered from bad luck nor benefited from good luck in 2025.
As unlucky as Tucker’s BABIP was in the July of 2025, he was lucky in the June of 2025. (The other months involved ordinary luck, or too few PAs to be of any significance.)
His June 2025 BABIP was a markedly lucky .354. His July 2025 BABIP was an unlucky .239. Combined, he was hitting in mild good luck for those two months compared with his career BABIP.
Neutralized for luck, Tucker is now a 4 fWAR player who has trouble staying on the field. He wasn’t unlucky in 2025 due to BABIP, which was entirely typical for him on the year, so expecting a rebound on that basis involves a failure to understand what the statistic means, or what it portends.
Month by month his 2025 BABIP ran .276, .289, .354, .239, .292, then .133 in five games in Sept / Oct.
Baseball-Reference allows you to pluck any number of games from a player’s Game Log, and it will give you the BABIP for those games.
OP’s comment was specifically about the second half. Tucker ran a .255 BABIP in 174 PA. That’s roughly 30 points below his career average, as you noted.
But he also had a .738 OPS. How much does that 30 points help? It was more likely the injuries hurt his production than bad luck.
Uhh, 30 points of BABIP goes a very long way on OPS with Tucker’s typical batted ball distribution. I think you’re confusing it for 1:1 with OPS points.
While injuries may have played a part, even a career average BABIP would’ve put him well over an .800 OPS for the second half.
Exactly… even in his “good” babip month in august his ops was only 735. Plus his hard hit rates were noticeably lower in july and in his limited time in sept. Babip is one measure but it wont be as high if the hard hit rates are lower.
Either way, it will likely affect his contract.
30 points of BABIP is about 20 points in BA and 40-60 points in OPS depending on the player’s SLG%. For Tucker who had a .500 SLG% in the first half, it would be near the top of that 40-60 points.
Trade Lindor. Sign Bichette
And say fu— it to defense?
Stupidity. I’m sorry Lindor’s wife triggers you.
I wouldn’t. Especially at the rumored $200m for Bichette, that’s a direct swap of players from the Mets POV, plus whatever modest prospect the Mets might get from anyone who thinks the 6/204.6m remaining on Lindor’s contract is above water. Coming off a 6-win season in 2025, he moves the needle for 2026, but for 2029-2031?
Bichette hasn’t cracked 4 fWAR since 2022, and there’s not much reason to think he’ll ever exceed that figure again. Can’t stay on the field, doesn’t have a position, but he is going on 28 in 2026—even though that’s a very old 28.
Lindor’s signed for his age 32-37 seasons, is still an above average SS, and can probably move to 2B when it’s time. He also hits well enough to have put up OPS+ of 121, 137, and 129 over the last three seasons. He might hit well enough to be a 2 win 1Bman in, say, 2029-2030, putting up a 110-115 OPS+ with slightly above average defense. It’s difficult to see Bichette doing that 4-5 years from now.
The Rumored amount for Tucker is $400 million, double the Strawb.
Think your meds ran out OP
Come on Blue Jays!!! It’s obvious your’re going to get Tucker, finish the job.
That;s not obvious at all.
Toronto has come to a realization that they outbid the field by a mile for Cease and perhaps taking a deep breath.
Jays sign Tucker for four years at $40M or 8 years at $32Mper year…
He’s not worth a dime more …
Wow!
You either want a discount of Tucker for over like insane, hate Tucker, undervalue Tucker, or just doesn’t have an idea of Tucker’s market. Which one? Or is it something else
The reporter’s name
Itself is a plea for attention!
I have no doubt the Giants have asked about him too. Since they asked about Shwarber, and Tucker is a much better positional fit, it just makes sense.
I hope their meeting with Framber Valdez turns into something more too.
Their catcher is concerned about the meeting with Valdez though.
No, players know what’s actually going on, unlike fans who are only speculating. Everyone involved said it was nothing more than a miscommunication. There’s no evidence of otherwise.
The only people concerned about that 2 seconds in history are pearl clutching Pollyanna’s and Karens.
Since Tucker led the Cubs in both home runs and RBI’s last season, and by wide margins, you can be sure that he will get a big long-term contract from somebody.
6th in each category, but you were close.
@horace: LOL, I know. I was pranking y’all. Tucker is enormously overrated, he stunk for the Cubs last year, and he will stink for whoever gets him this year.
?
He wasn’t even top 5 on the Cubs in either of those categories.
Sar-chasm has been located.
Part of his point. There are empty calorie statistical darlings in every sport who disappear in close games/big situations. That’s Tucker.
He rode coattails of actual stars in Hou (Altuve, Yordan, Springer, Correa). Also missing lot of games last couple years execs can’t blindly write off as a fluke when injured guys get even more easily on IL with age/hundreds of mils guaranteed.
Empty calories or empty of brain cells?
133 OPS+ with RISP.
126 OPS+ with bases empty
193 OPS+ in high leverage situations.
@Andrew: LOL, I know. I was pranking all the Tucker acolytes who so overrate him.
Makes sense, they need more pop to replace Alonso.
I would say there’s a less than one percent chance Tucker lands in Queens.
“You mean they have a chance?” If you pick a team at random, they have a 3% chance. If he doesn’t get the number of years he’s looking for, I wouldn’t mind the Mets overpaying for a 2 year deal, similar to Blake Snell. Benge looks like the real deal, but lots of those guys have floated into the abyss.
Michael Busch led the Cubs in home runs and Seiya Suzuki led the team in RBI. Once again Alan53 doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about.
Did the Pirates and Red Sox check on Tucker too?
Mets aren’t in on this, he never played for the Yankees
Or the Brewers.
Don’t mind me; I’m just here checking on Kyle Tucker. Has he signed yet? Add me to the list.
Must be a no news kind of day for this to post!
Funny that the Cubs have interest in every FA except for the guy who played for them last season and is looking for the largest contract. All it cost them was Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski for a guy they never intended to resign
Kyle is a legend in his own mind
Got heem
Lol mets
Jr pls
Nationals own us!!!
Mlb scheduling is corrupt
@Fever Pitch Guy: how ya doing, buddy??
Just checking in on ya
He’s got a fever, and the only prescription is more Josh Bell
He’s probably at Taco Bell.
Pedro’s best quote ever
Heyman trying to drum up business for his paymaster.
I think they’re pretty resistant to longterm deals right now, unless they value someone as a generational talent. I don’t quite think Tucker fits that bill, but what I think doesn’t matter. It’s up to the Mets.
Heyman is such a hack. By this point every team has “checked in” on Tucker. Now they have either made him an offer and are waiting to hear back or have found out he is too expensive and are out on him.
Leo, I am sure you get paid by the word, but that “rumor” didn’t justify that long of a piece.
Jon Heyman is Boras’ propagandist.
“hey Tucker, you still expensive?, yeah, no thanks”
Mets and other teams are doing their part by checking in on their friends.
So overated, no thanks
I am going to be on an island for this but oh well.
Cohen made it pretty clear that last year was a ballpark for this year’s payroll.. which leaves $25m
Given that, ANY of the free agents folks are hankering for uses up the entire cushion.
So how to use it? Sign Austin Hays, and Bassitt or Giolito. That’ll be roughly $20m. If Okamoto could fit in that budget it would be perfect. But assuming no on that
1. Keep Mauricio and Jett penciled into Swiss Army knife slots. Acuña is movable.
2. Benge platoons with Taylor/Hays
3. Go with a 6 man rotation early
4. Build the pen (other than those already penned in) from Sproat, Scott, Lambert, Ross, etc…
5. See what Vientos can bring back (or slot him in at first if no Okamoto)
Lindor, Semien, Soto, Polanco, Vientos (Oka), Baty, Alvarez, Hays, Benge
—Torrens, Jett, Taylor, Mauricio
Senga, Manaea, Bassett/Gio, Peterson, Holmes, McLean
Williams, Minter, Weaver, Raley, Adz, Sproat, Scott, Lambert, Ross, etc…
Evaluate after a month.
Then go into spring training expecting that trades can still be made and they’ll have a better idea of where to go after seeing how the kids progress.
I agree with you about them being more serious about pitching FA’s. I wouldn’t rely on Benge starting on opening day. He has 24 games at AAA with a .178 BA. Great future but not ready yet.
Your analysis is too sober for this site.
@Jdawginsc It’s odd that Mets fans think they’re in on major FAs when in Cohen’s diatribe he put payroll explicitly in the $310-320m range, and after the McNeil salary dump it’s at $294m.
I’d be surprised, though, if they were going to rethink anything once ST begins given it’s tough to make trades once the new season is underway.
Well run teams (arguendo) don’t actually go into ST with the idea of having players compete for a job. It’s possible to play your way out of a job for which you were a marginal candidate, but it’s typically something front offices say in the odd belief that making people sweaty and uncomfortable is the best way to get them to perform. If Benge hits .190 in spring, Stearns won’t care as long as he’s healthy, is swinging the bat well, gives a damn, and didn’t get fat during the winter.
Cohen didn’t give a specific amount for payroll. Not even a range. Puma of the Post said that the Mets payroll would be in that $310-$320 million range.
Cohen responded to that on his Twitter account saying;
“As typical , the usual idiots misinterpreting a Post article on Mets payroll for ‘ 26. I can’t imagine our payroll to be lower than last year. It’s always hard to predict but that would be my best guess.”
So, Cohen said it would be about what it was last season or higher. Last season the Mets season ending 40-man payroll and CBT payroll were both about $338 million. As of today they are at $286.9 million for 40-man and $303.4 million for CBT payroll.
He also said that there was no player that he would not go after if they were a fit for what they wanted to accomplish.
As a Jays fan I don’t see the Jays signing Tucker or Bichette with what they are going to cost. Bichette can hit but can only play 2nd base because he has a terrible arm and GM Ross Atkins seems to love defense and Bichette’s stinks. I think that a guy like Okamoto is more in line with what they go for.
I have also checked in on Kyle Tucker.
Let me start the controversy…
Tucker is the most overrated position player since Mike Trout.
Count down to haters in 3…2…1…
What’s to hate? Sounds like he’s great.
So, a team that has money to spend “checked in” on one of the top 1-2 free agents still available?! Wow, what a blockbuster of a report. I wonder what next “Insider” report will be, sources are saying that water is wet?
Why is this post a thing? Of course the Mets have checked, along with 29 other clubs.
Why are any of the “checked in” posts even posts, oh wait because this is MLB Trade Rumors. They are whispers, murmurs, and rumors until the signing actually occurs with any said Free Agent. If you don’t like it head over to ESPN where they only report when the news has already happened. Posts like these are what makes this site great, a bunch of us fans talking about baseball and what could be
No, I agree, this site is great for folks like us to talk baseball. This post is just a waste.
Most of them are lol – but it’s gets us all yapping
True that
@Doc LSD
Not controversial at all. Most players are overrated. Just look at the Hall of Fame. Even Judge is overrated.
Truth, Old York!
LSD obviously did bad things to your brain.
Tucker is wildly overrated. Trout wasn’t overrated in his healthy prime.
Hard to overrate a guy that is top 3 OF in baseball over the last 5 years. bWAR or fWAR. Same thing. OPS+ or wRC+ he is #4.
Tucker is one of the very best. An elite outfielder.
Even at last season’s 4.6 WAR, there is no OF in baseball that he would not make better.
Benge hit .178 at AAA last year, so I wouldn’t pencil him in for anything yet!
Benge is a nice prospect. He posted an impressive .978 OPS in 145 PAs at AA Binghampton last season. But when moved up to AAA Syracuse, he had a .583 OPS in 103 PAs. That’s not a disaster for a 22 year old in the IL. But it’s pretty clear that no matter how good he looks in spring training, the Mets are going to want him to have success at the AAA level before giving him an OF job in the majors.
I am sure he could benefit from some time at AAA, thus the need for a potential stop gap….
However,
The metrics at Syracuse show he was still barreling the ball, exit velocity the same, just some bad fortune.
Bottom line, over the course of the year, I would rather see the development of Benge, Jett, maybe Reimer, Sproat, Tong, Santucci and such.
They will be a good team, doing nothing else expensive.
I don’t want to send the system for rentals like Luis Robert, Skubal, Peralta, etc… that won’t move the needle enough in a small transitional year and will not fit the 2027 Mets (price or performance in the case of Lou Bob)
No need for Tucker. Need Carson benge and Soto plus an elite defending center fielder. $400 million wouldn’t be a wise spend ; save for future first base and second base needs if polanco and Clifford are busts. Arguable bo bichette fits in better than Tucker at this point and bellinger would be ok
Bichette doesn’t fit in at all, they have SS and 2B covered pretty well.
Who is the 2b ?
Semien.
Stearns checking in to see if Tucker was interested in 1 year deals
IMO, everything the Mets have done so far points to them signing Tucker.
Bwahahahaha Bwahahahaha Bwahahahaha
cough, cough, wheeze, oh, oh my Bwahahahaha
“Checked in”
Expensive Free Agents are now getting Health & Welfare checks from teams with big payrolls? Cohen to Stearns: “Fly to Tampa. Knock on Kyle’s door. Just let me know if he’s breathing. Take Soto with you. Take him out to eat. Tell Juan to flash a huge wad of Benjamins in front of him while he pays for lunch. Tell Juan to send me an expense report. He’ll get Tuck to sign.”
“All big market teams” except the Cubs, of course
Again, the Mets have roughly $25-30m to spend. It doesn’t make much sense to use it all on an imperfect fit player.
Bellinger fits because he can play 3 positions the Mets have need in…if he accepts shorter term.
I don’t see signing Tucker, Bichette, who are limited utility fits. I guess they could put Bichette at first base, but that seems an overuse of resources.
I don’t see Stearns paying Framber or even Ranger the big bucks plus length.
The farm was built to balance payroll between stars and homegrown kids, which is what Cohen said the goal is. Is there risk in that, of course? Yep. But that is the most effective long term plan.
It makes no sense to deplete resources each year buying proven rentals using the farm. So no Skubal, no Peralta.
Tucker isn’t gonna be a Met. They need a RH bat to bat behind Soto. I’m thinking Bregman is the better fit. Play Baty at 1B and let Vientos DH.
Do something already; this is getting old.
There shouldn’t be a comma after “namely.” This is amateurish.