It’s been a tough 24 hours for the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost on Kyle Tucker, who decided to head to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 15. After that, on Jan. 16, their home-grown talent, Bo Bichette, opted to sign with the New York Mets.
ESPN reported on Jan. 15, citing sources, that the Mets agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract with Bichette to lure him away from Toronto.
Pending a physical, the deal includes opt-outs after the first and second seasons. Without any deferred money, the contract carries an average annual value of $42 million.
As for the Blue Jays, the question is, where do they go from here? Although Toronto has had an impressive offseason, not having that Tucker or Bichette bat behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. does feel like a disappointment.
Nonetheless, the Toronto Star’s baseball columnist, Mike Wilner, believes that the Blue Jays need to pivot to the other big-name free agent left on the market, outfielder Cody Bellinger.
“Cody Bellinger obviously stands out as the next best fit, especially when the Blue Jays seem to have been so focused on Kyle Tucker,” Wilner said on the Jan. 16 edition of “Foul Territory.” “Bellinger has shown he can play in the AL East.
“He is a very good defensive outfielder, as opposed to Tucker, and defense is something that the Blue Jays seem to really want. It’s a weird fit, but Tucker would have been a weird fit, and they were willing to make it happen.”
Cody Bellinger Would Bolster Blue Jays’ Outfield
Moreover, the Blue Jays’ potential pursuit of Bellinger, who they have seen play for the New York Yankees, would be an upgrade over what they have in the outfield.
“I would imagine that Cody Bellinger is the next target, and if not, look, you’ve got Nathan Lukes,“ Wilner added. “And Nathan Lukes, while he’s been an average Major League hitter, was good enough to be a lead‑off man in a World Series game and score the winning run in that game.
“You’ve got Joey Loperfido, who came up last July and was ridiculous for six weeks, who might get a chance as well. But it does feel like if you’re acting like a bully in free agency and you’re taking aim at the Kyle Tuckers of the world, then a pivot to Cody Bellinger should not be out of your reach at all.”
Ken Rosenthal on Blue Jays Missing Out on Kyle Tucker
After whiffing on Tucker, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal shared his insight on the now-Dodgers outfielder and why he didn’t land in Toronto, which was willing to give him a long-term contract.
“I’m not sure he wanted to go long term,“ Rosenthal said during a Jan. 15 appearance on “Foul Territory.” “I’m not sure he wanted to go to Toronto. Toronto is much more of a destination than it has been in recent years. Actually, all the players they missed out on, it was circumstances in each case.
“We have seen this offseason the Blue Jays spend more than every other team, $337 million total with their four free agent signings, including, of course, Dylan Cease right at the top of that.
“So free agents do want to go there. It doesn’t mean every free agent wants to go there. And it doesn’t mean, in Kyle Tucker’s case, that he wanted to sign long-term there. So if his preference was short term with opt-outs, which is what he got, four years with opt-outs after years two and three.”
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