Blue Jays Miss Out on the #1 Free Agent AGAIN… What Next?

Another offseason, another big letdown for Jays fans, as it was just announced that the number-one free agent in the class signed with the 2025 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2023 it was Ohtani, in 2024 it was Juan Soto, and now in 2026 you can add Kyle Tucker to the list of big names that the Blue Jays went all-in on but ultimately finished as runner-up for. 

Late Thursday evening, it was announced that the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract with Tucker. According to Jeff Passan, the deal includes opt-outs after years two and three, a $64 million signing bonus, and $30 million deferred. This contract is insane, and while I love Kyle Tucker as a player, this deal is far too expensive from an AAV standpoint. Tucker is not worth $60 million per season ($57.1 million including deferrals). 

The term of the contract is great for the Dodgers—it’s not a 10-year deal as many initially expected, and it will end when Tucker is just 32 years old. Tucker now becomes the second-highest-paid player in the league in terms of AAV, which is wild considering he had a bit of a down year last season, posting a WAR of just 4.6—his lowest total since 2020. Tucker now joins the Dodgers’ star-studded, evil-empire lineup alongside Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, and Hernández. The Dodgers can’t keep getting away with this. 

What’s Next? 

After going all-in on Tucker and once again missing out, the Blue Jays now need to move on to Plan B. But what is Plan B? Cody Bellinger? Bo Bichette? It’s time to go all-in on bringing Bo Bichette back home where he belongs. 

My real concern is whether Bo says “screw the Blue Jays” after they put all their chips in on Tucker and somewhat ignored him. Let’s hope that’s not the case, because it would be a very disappointing offseason if the Blue Jays lose both Tucker and Bichette. 

Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins are now under immense pressure to re-sign Bichette. If he walks too, the fan base might go rogue. Jon Heyman reported that Bichette could command a $300 million contract. Yes, that would be an overpay—but they almost have no choice. They cannot afford to lose him. 

The Philadelphia Phillies met with Bo earlier this week, and reports say the meeting went well. That’s concerning, especially since the Phillies recently hired Don Mattingly, the Blue Jays’ 2025 bench coach, to the same role in Philadelphia. 

When healthy, Bo is one of the best hitters in baseball, with a .294 career batting average. While his defense is atrocious and he will most likely move to second base—like he did after returning from injury during the World Series—his bat is absolutely worth “throwing the bag” at. 

Not signing Tucker also opens up more playing time for Addison Barger, who had a breakout year last season and played a key role in the Blue Jays’ World Series run. Barger had an incredible postseason, posting a 1.025 OPS, and deserves to be an everyday contributor next season. 

The 26-year-old is just entering his prime, and I truly believe he can be a consistent 30-home-run, .850 OPS type of player. An outfield of Varsho, Santander, Barger, Springer, and Lukes still looks very solid heading into the 2026 season. 

Conclusion 

Did we miss out on another top-tier free agent? Absolutely. But as Blue Jays fans, we should be used to free agency disappointment by now. That said, the Blue Jays must bring Bo Bichette back no matter what to complete what has otherwise been a strong offseason. 

A free agent class featuring Bo Bichette, Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, Cody Ponce, and Kazuma Okamoto would deserve an A+ grade. Shapiro and Atkins got us to the dance, and I trust them to get us back—and finally win the battle. 

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