After the signing of Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs, the hot stove is only going to get hotter. At this point in the offseason, someone has to give in and sign. Regardless of the deals they agree to, spring training is right around the corner, and it’s important to get inked now rather than hold off and risk hurting your market value.

Players are going to ask for more than their expected value, especially if they are clients of Scott Boras, aka the evil emperor of MLB. Boras is known for pushing teams’ financial limits to the absolute maximum for his clients. He believes his players deserve record-setting contracts with high AAVs and long-term security.

No team in its right mind is going to meet those demands outright. Instead, teams will offer contracts they believe are appropriate without putting themselves in a chokehold that limits future roster building. There are three stars in particular who I believe are asking well above their expected value and should sign now rather than wait for an unrealistic deal that may never come.

Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker was expected to be the splashiest signing of this offseason, posting numbers comparable to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani. However, due to his injury history, he has struggled to find a contract that matches his talent and production. As a Scott Boras client, Tucker’s camp has reportedly pegged his value around $400 million over 10 years, which would place his $40 million AAV among the top offensive superstars entering the 2026 season, trailing only Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani and tying Aaron Judge and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

At this late stage of the offseason, that payday is unlikely to materialize.

Recent rumors suggest the Mets, Dodgers, and Blue Jays are the frontrunners for Tucker. His meeting with the Mets reportedly went well, but discussions with the Dodgers and Blue Jays may have carried more weight, as both clubs contended in the World Series last year while the Mets spent October in Cancun. All three teams are among the wealthiest in baseball, led by Steve Cohen (NYM), Rogers Communications Inc. (TOR), and Guggenheim Baseball Management (LAD).

The Mets are arguably the weakest of the three teams at the moment, and without Tucker, their roster is not much better than it was last season. Losing Pete Alonso was a major blow, but adding a player like Tucker could quickly ease those concerns. We’ve already seen Alex Bregman sign a short-term deal with Boston before quickly re-entering free agency and landing with the Cubs. If the Mets sign Tucker, they must ensure they do whatever is necessary to beat competing offers and keep him in the organization for more than just one year.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have won back-to-back World Series titles, which could be enticing for Tucker as a relatively easy path to another ring. However, recent reports indicate Tucker prefers to stay out of the spotlight and simply play baseball. Playing for the Dodgers makes that nearly impossible. In a lineup featuring Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, every move is magnified, and there is no such thing as being low-key in Los Angeles.

Yes, the Mets are also a massive market, led by stars like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, but the expectations are different. The Dodgers are chasing a third consecutive World Series, and anything short of a title is considered a failure. The Mets offer less pressure and a more forgiving environment for Tucker to adjust and thrive.

At the end of the day, this feels like the Mets’ deal to lose. Steve Cohen hates being outbid, and while the Blue Jays could make a serious push, Canada’s higher tax rates could be a deciding factor. For that reason, it feels like only a matter of time before Kyle Tucker ends up in New York.

As of late in the offseason new rumors are swirling around as the Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays are currently the frontrunners for the Tucker sweepstakes. The meeting with the Mets went especially well with Kyle Tucker but the meetings with the Dodgers and Blue Jays may have been the focal point of them all as both teams contended in the World Series last year while the Mets spent the playoffs in Cancun. Each of these teams are in the top three of wealthiest owners with it being led by Steve Cohen (NYM), Rogers Communications Inc (TOR) and the Guggenheim Baseball management (LAD)

The Mets right now are the weakest out of the three teams and without Kyle Tucker on their roster their squad is not much better than what they were last year. Loosing Pete Alonso was a source of misery for the team but having a guy like Kyle Tucker signed could quickly those feelings of dread. Now we’ve seen Alex Bregman sign a deal with the Red Sox and only lasted one year before moving on in free agency to the Cubs so the Mets must make sure that if Tucker signs with the Mets we do any means necessary to top the other two offers to make sure he stays with the organization longer than just a year.

However the Dodgers won back to back rings the past two seasons so that could be enticing to Kyle Tucker to have an easy route to another World Series ring to add to his collection. However recent reports say that Kyle Tucker doesn’t enjoy being the center of attention and just wants to play baseball. Playing for the Dodgers, as much as that is a dream to any player’s hearts it is also the center of attention for all players and you are put on full blast if you sign with them. There is no such thing as being ‘low-key’ playing for the Dodgers. In a lineup of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman all the spotlight will be on their new glamorous addition to the lineup

Yes of course you can go down the rabbit hole of the Mets are also a huge market also and the second biggest to the Dodgers and are led by two of the biggest names in baseball with Lindor and Soto but the difference is there aren’t as tight nit expectations for the Mets as opposed to the Dodgers where the end goal is to win a third World Series consecutively. Less pressure for the Mets and much of a better environment for Tucker to adjust towards.

It really is the Mets to loose and Steve Cohen hates being outbid by any team. The Blue Jays could make a serious run for Kyle Tucker but living in Canada with those hefty taxes could be the difference maker in Tucker’s decision. That is why it is only a matter of time for Tucker to go towards the Mets.