The Mets are in the mix for Kyle Tucker.
Tucker’s free-agent suitors include the Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, according to The Athletic.
That intel follows a report this week from former Mets general manager Jim Duquette, now an SNY contributor, that named those three teams as being the “most aggressive” in pursuing Tucker, though nothing is believed to be imminent.
Signing Tucker — an All-Star in each of the past four seasons — would transform a Mets offseason in which slugger Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz left in free agency and outfielder Brandon Nimmo and utility man Jeff McNeil were traded away.
Tucker is coming off of an injury-plagued season with the Chicago Cubs in which he batted .266 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI and an .841 OPS in 136 games.
But the outfielder, who turns 29 this month, entered free agency as the consensus top player on the open market, with some projecting him to land a contract exceeding $400 million.
As a member of the Houston Astros, Tucker finished fifth in American League MVP voting in 2023, then posted a .993 OPS in 78 games in 2024.
The Mets are reportedly more interested in signing Tucker to a short-term deal featuring a higher average annual salary.
Although both bat left-handed, Tucker could provide the type of elite lineup protection for Juan Soto that was vacated by Alonso’s departure.
Tucker has exclusively played right field — the same position as Soto — over the past four seasons. He has not appeared in left field, which was Nimmo’s position, since 2020.
The Mets have been more frequently linked to fellow free agent Cody Bellinger, a superior defender who plays all three outfield positions, in addition to first base.
But Bellinger is believed to have a robust market and is considered the incumbent Yankees’ top target. The lefty-swinging Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBI and an .813 OPS in 152 games last year.
On Wednesday night, Duquette wrote he believes the Mets are “more in” on Tucker than they are on Bellinger.
The Mets seek a rebound in 2026 after they finished 83-79 and missed the playoffs last year.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has prioritized run prevention, and his biggest offseason additions thus far are slick-fielding second baseman Marcus Semien, infielder Jorge Polanco and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
Adding Tucker would go a long way in upgrading the Mets’ offense, but the Blue Jays have long been considered the favorite to sign him.
Toronto is reportedly viewed as more likely to commit to a long-term contract with Tucker, who could replace shortstop Bo Bichette — who, too, is a premium free agent — in the heart of the Blue Jays’ lineup.
