The Toronto Blue Jays are still interested in Kyle Tucker, and the team got a major update on his free agency.
It was reported that Tucker visited the Blue Jays’ spring training facility, amid the team’s interest in the slugger. At the Winter Meetings, Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed the meeting had happened and said the meeting was a productive one.
“We sat upstairs for about an hour, an hour-and-a-half, talked through kind of where the organization is, where the organization is heading, both from a team, roster-building standpoint, from an ownership standpoint, and he talked baseball. It was pretty cool,” Schneider said to Sportsnet. …
“It was very productive. Again, great, great player. And it’s not a surprise his skillset fits exactly what we’re doing. So, we’ll see where the next couple (of) weeks lead.”
As Schneider noted, it seems the two sides enjoyed the meeting, which could signal that the Blue Jays do end up landing Tucker. But, for now, Tucker remains the top free agent available.
Tucker is a four-time MLB All-Star.
Blue Jays Manager Enjoyed Talking to Tucker
Schneider wouldn’t detail too much of the conversation with Tucker, but he said he enjoyed learning about his game.
The Blue Jays manager said Tucker is confident in the batter’s box. Schneider also said they talked about his defense and getting that back on track. As well as possibly leaning on stealing more bases.
“I think it was very, very clear that he’s confident in the batter’s box,” said Schneider. “This dude can hit. And the things he talked about which were impressive to us, he talked about his defense, he talked about his base running, he talked about his baseball IQ – what he looks for when he is playing defense, certain tells in a pitcher to try to get 25 bags instead of 20. So it was pretty cool to hear that part of his game.”
Tucker would be a middle-of-the-order bat for the Blue Jays and would bolster their lineup. He hit .266 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs last season with the Chicago Cubs.
Toronto Could Sign Both Bichette & Tucker
Although the Blue Jays have been linked to Tucker, Toronto is also pursuing Bo Bichette.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reported on Thursday that the Blue Jays could land both Tucker and Bichette.
“The Blue Jays have a chance to seize control of the AL East even more than they did in winning the division this year,” Passan wrote. “Whether that means signing Tucker, Bo Bichette, or both, they’re spending in the sort of fashion the Yankees and Red Sox used to — and taking advantage of the window of opportunity that presents is imperative.
“Toronto, long mocked for its failures in free agency, is now a destination for players enthralled by the brand of baseball the Blue Jays play as well as the deep pockets of ownership. If you’re going to spend $210 million on Cease, that’s a sign. It’s all-in time, and opportunistic maneuvering would pay huge dividends for Toronto.”
If the Blue Jays do land Tucker and Bichette, Toronto would be one of the favorites to win the World Series.
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