Kyle Tucker is a player who has been linked to the New York Mets and several other MLB teams, including the Blue Jays. According to sources such as Spotrac, his market value has been estimated at around $30-40 million per year. However, a new report from Bob Nightengale suggests that the financial outlook for Tucker may have shifted.
In an article for USA Today Sports, Nightengale reports that Tucker is now likely to settle for a much smaller contract than originally projected. That would represent a significant sacrifice, with Tucker potentially opting for a higher annual value on a shorter-term deal and then returning to free agency in hopes of landing something bigger down the road.
āHe was projected to earn a contract in the $400 million neighborhood but could have to instead take a higher AAV on a short-term contract and hit the market again after two consecutive injury-plagued second halves,ā Nightengale wrote.
What was Tuckerās salary last season?
The Cubs paid Tucker $16.5 million on a one-year deal last season. Dating back to 2023, his earnings had already climbed significantly, and there was an expectation that his salary could double by 2026 if the Mets or any other team signs him.
Tuckerās career earnings currently stand at $40.4 million, with the Astros accounting for $23 million of that total over eight seasons. A new contract paying at least $30 million per year would allow Tucker to add nearly as much to his career earnings in a single season.
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In his article, Nightengale also noted that it is common for teams to wait until late in the offseason to negotiate better prices with free agents. āEveryone always waits for free agentsā price tags to plummet, or at least for the years to drop, and nothing ever seems to get done until close to spring training, or even in March,ā Nightengale wrote.
