The end of calendar year 2025 is just a week away, meaning that the home stretch of the baseball offseason is right around the corner — the period that separates the teams who genuinely plan to contend next year from the clubs who merely hope to get by while staying under a predetermined budget. The defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays have shown themselves to be aspiring contenders, as one of the most active teams on the market so far.
But most of the Blue Jays’ major acquisitions to this point have come in the pitching department, signing the top available free agent hurler in Dylan Cease, as well as submarine-throwing righty reliever Tyler Rogers and Korean league star Cody Ponce.
Blue Jays Slower to Add to Offense
President and CEO Mark Shapiro has been slower to upgrade the Blue Jays’ hitting attack, but according to multiple media reports, Shapiro’s focus has been directed toward Chicago Cubs free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, considered not only the most productive hitter still unsigned, but also the most expensive.
Now, a new analysis indicates that if they do not move quickly, the Blue Jays could lose their pursuit of Tucker to a surprising American League East rival who until recently was not looked on as a player in the free agent sweepstakes.
Alonso Signing Shows Orioles are Serious
On December 11, during baseball’s annual Winter Meetings, the Baltimore Orioles — a team that won just 75 games this year but is only two seasons removed from a playoff-bound, 101-win campaign — announced their presence as a serious player in the offseason market by signing New York Mets‘ all-time franchise home run leader Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract.
Alonso, for one, believes that the Orioles — who have not won a World Series since 1983 — are the real thing when it comes to the quest to win the AL East.
“I have played on a couple of winning teams,” Alonso said later, as quoted by MLB.com. “You need talent, you need young guys. You need a mix of veterans and you need commitment from the top. For me there was no hesitation at all. It’s like, yup, that’s the team. Yup, these are the people. Baltimore is it.”
But is it? Would Baltimore be willing to add to its offense by signing Tucker as well, though according to the sports business site Spotrac the 28-year-old is estimated to require a $402 million, 10-year contract from whichever team signs him.
Analyst: Tucker ‘Sneaky Fit’ With Orioles
The Orioles also signed two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract.
According to analyst Jordan Leandre of Just Baseball, Baltimore would also be “it” for Tucker, who Leandre calls a “sneaky-good fit for the superstar outfielder.”
“As we’ve seen in his career, Tucker can tailor his swing to his home ballpark. In 2024, he was among the game’s best in pull air rate, but had a 29.3 percent oppo air rate. He dropped the latter to 17.5 percent in his one year with the Cubs, maintaining elite pull air,” Leandre explained. “His batted-ball profile wouldn’t have lent itself to more home run production the last two years at Camden. However, his profile in his past two healthy seasons would’ve seen more home run production in Baltimore.”
Leandre called the Orioles lineup with Alonso “one of the more lethal ones on paper.” But adding Tucker would raise it to “a whole new level.”
For the record, Tucker has played 22 games against Baltimore in his eight-year career, with three home runs, a triple, six doubles and an .856 OPS. But has not faced the Orioles at Camden Yards since August 10, 2023.
Blue Jays Predicted to Lose $402 Million Kyle Tucker Pursuit to Surprising AL Club