The Toronto Blue Jays have already been active in free agency. Toronto signed Dylan Cease and reportedly agreed to sign Cody Ponce. However, they could still make a splash in the position player market.
Kyle Tucker reportedly was spotted visiting the Blue Jays’ facility in Florida on Wednesday. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, rival executives see the Blue Jays as the favorites for Tucker. However, MLB insider Mark Feinsand thinks that Bo Bichette is a “more likely candidate” to sign with the Blue Jays.
“I would say Bichette is the more likely candidate to sign with the Jays, as there is less competition for his services than for Tucker, who is on the radar of a number of big-market clubs,” Feinsand wrote on Wednesday.
Bichette has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays. He is a two-time All-Star and is one of the best hitters in baseball. He has led the American League in hits twice in his career, and had a chance to lead all of baseball in hits last season before a knee injury knocked him out in the final month.
Bichette is a fan favorite, but questions remain about his defense. He is not good defensively at shortstop, but the Blue Jays could move him to second base. Bichette has publicly stated that he wants to stay with the Blue Jays. Considering the Blue Jays gave Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a lucrative extension recently, signing Tucker to a deal that could exceed $400 million may be unlikely. However, Feinsand did not rule out the Blue Jays signing both Bichette and Tucker.
“Still, I wouldn’t rule out Tucker at all. Could they sign both?” wrote Feinsand. “Toronto certainly has enough money to do it if that’s what ownership wants to do, though that would be a pretty big commitment, especially after signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to his huge extension last year. One way or another, there’s at least one more big move coming for the defending AL champs.”
Tucker visiting the Blue Jays’ facility is sure to fire up more rumors about him signing with the team. However, Bichette seems like a more realistic option at this point. He will be cheaper and has already made it clear that Toronto is his preferred destination in free agency.
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