MLB Odds: Blue Jays manager John Schneider optimistic after meeting with Kyle Tucker
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider was open and candid when discussing free agent Kyle Tucker’s tour of the team’s off-season facilities in Dunedin, Fla.
Here’s what you need to know.
Kyle Tucker
Tucker spent 2025 with the Chicago Cubs after a trade from Houston last off-season.
Arguably the biggest name free agent on the market, the 28-year-old visited the Blue Jays’ Dunedin complex on Dec. 3, which was a quick trip from nearby Tampa Bay where he was born and raised.
Schneider was very open when talking to reporters about the meeting with Tucker.
“We sat upstairs for about an hour, an hour-and-a-half, talked through kind of where the organization is, where the organization is heading, both from a team, roster-building standpoint, from an ownership standpoint, and he talked baseball,” said Schneider. “It was pretty cool.”
Tucker is chiefly valued for his all-around abilities rather than dominance in any one specific facet of the game. He has hit anywhere from 22 to 30 home runs and stolen 25 to 30 bases in each of his last three full seasons.
Tucker has also ranked in the top-10 in the majors in both on-base percentage (.380) and walk-rate 13.9 per cent) over the last three seasons.
“I think it was very, very clear that he’s confident in the batter’s box,” said Schneider. “This dude can hit. And the things he talked about which were impressive to us, he talked about his defence, he talked about his base running, he talked about his baseball IQ – what he looks for when he is playing defence, certain tells in a pitcher to try to get 25 bags instead of 20. So it was pretty cool to hear that part of his game.”
Toronto Blue Jays
Of course, the Blue Jays are coming off a heartbreaking extra innings loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series.
Toronto has already made some major moves on the mound, signing one of the biggest starting pitchers available, Dylan Cease, and last year’s KBO MVP, Cody Ponce.
Signing Tucker would immediately upgrade Toronto’s outfield and it would offset the loss of Bo Bichette, should he leave in free agency.
The Blue Jays’ early offseason work has them listed at +1300 to win the World Series in 2026, trailing only the Phillies (+1000), Yankees (+750) and Dodgers (+340).
