After whiffing out on free-agent hitter Kyle Tucker, the New York Mets now need to pivot to Plan B to bolster their lineup. On Jan. 15, ESPN reported, citing sources, that Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Moreover, the deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years. Tucker’s $60 million average annual value is the second-largest for a player in MLB history, trailing only his new teammate, Shohei Ohtani ($70M).
As for the Mets, former MLB general manager Jim Duquette reported on Jan. 15, citing an MLB source, that New York’s offer was four years at $220 million.
Moreover, Duquette also reported that the Mets will likely pivot to Cody Bellinger, since he’s still available, after the New York Yankees have been at a stalemate in negotiations for two and a half months.
Bellinger will be the obvious choice to fill an outfield role that the Mets were hoping Tucker would occupy. However, it will be interesting to see if David Stearns and Co. can actually edge the Yankees because whiffing on Bellinger would be a major blow to any World Series hopes that the team have for this upcoming season.
Kevin Pillar Weighs In on Mets Losing Out to Dodgers
With the Dodgers adding another big bat to their lineup, former MLB player Kevin Pillar shared his thoughts on why Tucker opted to go to Los Angeles over the Toronto Blue Jays and Mets amid links to both teams.
“They have a proven track record of making their players better,” Pillar said during a Jan. 15 appearance on “Foul Territory.” “They’re back-to-back World Series champs. They have a collection of riches. They have some of the best players in baseball.
“They have this guy by the name of Shohei Ohtani who doesn’t want to sign up to be his teammate. You know, a lot of people are going to sit here and say, ‘Dodgers are ruining baseball. It’s bad for the sport.‘ But everyone has an opportunity to go out and bid for these players.”
Dodgers Hold Edge Over Other Teams for Any Free-Agent
Moreover, Pillar believes that whenever the Dodgers pursue a free agent, the chances of that player ending up in Los Angeles are very high, as the Mets and Blue Jays recently experienced.
“If you are close to another team and the Dodgers are in it, there’s a chance the player is going to go to the Dodgers because of all those things I mentioned,“ Pillar added. “And the Dodgers kind of just kind of been operating, with Kyle Tucker kind of in silence. You’ve kind of maybe always connected the dots.
“You could see how there was a fit, but at some point, you’re like, there’s no way they’re going to go out and get another player. And sure enough, the Dodgers do what they do. They go out. They changed the game again. The highest AAV ever for a player, for Kyle Tucker to go play right field and bat somewhere in that lineup, it’s crazy. Yeah, I didn’t see it coming, but I’m also not surprised.”
Insider Shares Huge Mets Update After Missing Out on Kyle Tucker