Blue Jays rumours surge as Kyle Tucker spotted with George Springer at TGL golf match

When you’ve gone to the World Series and followed that excitement by being the biggest-spending team in baseball for the two months after, it doesn’t take much for the Blue Jays to create a frenzy these days.

The latest example arrived in the indoor professional golf world, of all places, when Blue Jays veteran George Springer was spotted alongside Kyle Tucker at a TGL competition in Florida.

Never mind that Springer and Tucker were teammates in Houston and likely keep in contact as friends. The more enticing storyline is that Springer was also making a recruiting pitch to his former Astros sidekick as the bidding for Tucker is expected to heat up.

The Jays, of course, have been front and centre in the discussions surrounding Tucker, widely considered to be the best position player available in this year’s free-agent class.

The right fielder would be a perfect fit for the Jays defensively and a potent top-of-the-order bat to complete an already impressive lineup.

Furthermore, with Daulton Varsho and Springer on expiring contracts following the 2026 season, locking up Tucker to a long-term deal would be a savvy investment in the future of the Jays outfield.

It’s probably not wise to read too much into Springer and Tucker hanging out (with another former teammate, Michael Brantley also part of the crew) at the TGL event.

But it’s not a leap to suggest that the first two weren’t just talking about Shane Lowry’s backswing and Billy Horschel’s winning putt for the Atlanta Drive, especially as the spotlight on Tucker begins to burn brighter.

What are Jays chances of landing Tucker?

While it is expected Tucker will have multiple suitors, it’s also evident that the market hasn’t exploded into the expensive stratosphere many projected it would back in November.

At the time, speculation suggested it would take $400 million US or more to land Tucker, though the forecast is considerably more muted as the free-agency season moves into the important January phase.

The Jays have already spent $337 million in free agency this off-season — by far the most of any MLB team. But all indications are they are not done spending just yet.

While GM Ross Atkins has expressed satisfaction with his work to date — including the latest big addition, Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto — he has also indicated there is still money available.

“We’ve always had incredible support from ownership,” Atkins said at Tuesday’s introductory press conference for Okamoto.

While it would be a surprise if the Jays got in an aggressive bidding war for Tucker, if the market remains on the soft side and the price to acquire the proven and prolific left-handed bat drifts back some, don’t be surprised if the Jays pounce to add a prominent player that would finish off what likely would go down as the best off-season in franchise history.

How interested is Tucker?

Interested enough to make a visit to the Jays spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., in December.

Understanding that such visits are part of free-agent research these days and Tucker resides in nearby Tampa, the fact that he spent significant time at the Jays complex — meeting with Jays front office types, including manager John Schneider — and asking a number of questions about the team certainly is a positive sign.

Presumably, like so many around baseball, Tucker is more aware of the Jays than ever after seeing what the team did through its October run to the World Series.

And then there’s the attraction of the interest the Jays have shown and their ability to make deals work with big name players.

“If there’s an opportunity for us to think about improving this organization, we’re always going to lead to creative ways to do so,” Atkins said on Tuesday.