The New York Mets apparently mean business after losing Pete Alonso and others this offseason.
The Mets have made a sizable offer to free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker in free agency, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported on Tuesday. Nightengale says that the Mets have offered Tucker a three- or four-year contract that will pay him an average annual value of $50 million. That would mark the third-highest AAV in MLB history, trailing only Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers ($70 million AAV) and the Mets’ own Juan Soto ($51 million AAV).
Tucker, 28, is the best remaining free agent hitter on the market. A four-time All-Star as well as a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Tucker is drawing interest from the Mets, the Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays, and also one prominent new contender.
Earlier this month, we heard that the Blue Jays were the team that had made the biggest offer to Tucker up to that point of free agency. But it looks like Toronto’s offer to Tucker may be spread out over more years, resulting in a bigger total contract value but with a lower average value per year.
The Mets have been licking their wounds for most of the offseason, especially after their longtime slugger Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles in free agency. But Alonso “only” signed with the Orioles for five years and $155 million, and it looks like the Mets may be exceeding that overall value with their offer to Tucker.
Interestingly enough, the lefty-hitting Tucker reportedly wanted over $300 million at the beginning of free agency. The Mets’ offer appears to be topping out at $200 million, and if Tucker does not bite, there is at least one other big name that the Mets are seemingly eyeing as a Plan B.
