The Toronto Blue Jays have a lot on their plate. They are a top MLB team after coming up short in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because of this loss, they are pushing their chips in for 2026. One of those chips is Kyle Tucker, who they are the frontrunners to sign. Another is Bo Bichette, whose future is less certain than Tucker’s, despite the team’s interest in bringing him back.
The Blue Jays have been busy in free agency, specifically regarding pitching. They recently signed a 6-foot-6 pitching prospect with significant upside. This move came following Shane Bieber’s return, and the additions of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. There are reports that the Blue Jays have signed Tyler Rogers, but the team has yet to officially confirm it. Despite Jeff Hoffman‘s struggles last season, Rogers won’t be handed the closer job.
Elsewhere, one MLB analyst has predicted that a Blue Jays outfielder could be traded to the San Francisco Giants. This outfielder could be acquired by the Giants, giving up their top prospect, Bryce Eldridge.
Toronto Blue Jays Predicted to Trade Nathan Lukes to the San Francisco Giants
Mike Petriello of MLB.com believes that the Giants have some areas of their roster that need upgrades. He explains that their right fielders lacked adequate offensive production and how they could address it through free agency.
“Last year’s San Francisco right fielders weren’t very good (third-weakest offensive production), and that currently is not projected to change,” Petriello wrote on December 13th. “As we said above about second base, outfield might just be a bigger issue, because Jung-Hoo Lee and Heliot Ramos are likely to handle the other two spots. Kyle Tucker is the obvious fit here, but if trading for Rafael Devers last summer counted as their big-ticket addition, then they may have to set their sights lower. If that applies to (Cody) Bellinger also, then the best option may be via trade.”
“It’s been rumored that they’d be open to dealing first base prospect Bryce Eldridge if the right fit comes up…It seems like it has to be a trade we haven’t seen yet.”
And that’s where he suggests a few trade candidates, including Nathan Lukes.
“Trade for Wilyer Abreu or Luis Robert Jr. or perhaps Nathan Lukes, if and when the Blue Jays add a star outfielder.“
Kyle Tucker & Nathan Lukes Are a Fit For the Giants
According to FanGraphs, the Giants had the third-lowest Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) in the MLB with 78.
When it comes to wRC+, 100 is league average. This applies to both players and teams. The wRC+ metric is an all-encompassing hitting statistic that adjusts for park effects and the league average, according to FanGraphs.
As a team, the Blue Jays posted a wRC+ of 104, ranking 12th overall.
In 2025, Lukes posted a wRC+ of 104. He was one of 11 hitters on the Blue Jays who posted better than 100 in this metric.
On the other side, the Giants only had six hitters reach the same milestone. Trading for Lukes would give them their seventh, and slot in at the right outfield position.
Will the Blue Jays Trade Lukes After Signing Kyle Tucker?
The Blue Jays are the clear favorite to sign Tucker. Petriello wrote, “if and when the Blue Jays add a star outfielder” in his article cited above.
While it’s certainly possible that the Blue Jays secure Tucker’s services for $400 million, it’s far from a guarantee. The Dodgers are lurking around, and one report suggests they have interest in Tucker on a short-term deal with a higher per-year ticket.
Tucker could be one of the next free agents to sign, which would cause a domino effect for the rest of the market. Trades would be executed for all backup options teams have been planning for.
Which, in the case of the Giants, appears to potentially include Lukes. The benefit for the Blue Jays with having the Giants as trading partners is that their top prospect is available for the right deal.
A Word About Bo Bichette
And let’s not forget about Bichette. The latest information reveals that the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves are still in the mix for his services.
The Blue Jays’ owner has recently sent Bichette a clear message: Toronto will roster a competitive team regardless of whether Bichette is on it.
It’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks for Blue Jays fans before the new year.
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