Kyle Tucker entered winter as one of the most touted free agents in the market. But with a demanded $40 million AAV, even the teams, like the Toronto Blue Jays, showing the strongest interests in him haven’t placed a bet yet. However, is the silence really that bad? According to Blue Jays Today host Adam Peddle, it might be.

“Why would I say the Blue Jays wouldn’t give him the $400 million? They have the money,” said Blue Jays Today host Adam Peddle. “No one else is offering it. No other team’s kind of seeing him as a $400 million guy.”

The former Chicago Cub visited the Blue Jays in their Dunedin, Florida, facility previously this month and according to many present there, it went well. In fact, in the hour-hour and a half-long meeting, they talked about anything and everything baseball, showing some strong camaraderie from the veteran. However, since then, it’s mostly been a hush.

As the offseason market moves, top players are beginning signing processes and Pete Alonso and Dylan Cease are already down. But Tucker, who asks for $400 million, is seeing his projection softening. The delay can possibly because of two polar-opposite reasons:

First, the teams have looked at Tucker deeply and seen a late-season slump, injury concerns, and reduced urgency from several bidders. Second, a deal of this magnitude demand not just interaction among the GM and the agents but also the ownership that can be time-consuming.

However, with the delay, the league now predicts that Kyle Tucker will get anywhere between $300 to $350 million. Interestingly, this can be a very good news for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays were always the favorites to land Tucker, but now they have even more odds of landing him. The Jays are one of the only few teams that still have the money and have a projected payroll of $280 million by the end of the trade deadline. If the ball keeps rolling downhill, Toronto just might be able to lure him with their World Series-winning mindset and a treasure chest to fulfill Tucker’s demands.

Beyond the money, Toronto actually needs his performance of .841 OPS and 4.6 bWAR. Those numbers during Tucker’s down year will add a lot of value alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s during October. Toronto fell one win short of a championship, and Tucker directly addresses run production volatility.

Markets talk louder than projections, and Kyle Tucker’s price is now settling below imagined winter peaks. If patience wins titles, Ross Atkins letting Tucker come to terms may be Toronto’s sharpest move. But Toronto can’t hold on for a very long time, either.

With the market cooling down, the Dodgers have a good shot at Kyle Tucker

This is what happens when the room goes quiet, and no team panics. Los Angeles has seen this movie before, and they know when to wait for the price to blink. While everyone else keeps circling, the Los Angeles Dodgers are positioned to do what they usually do. Kyle Tucker is now the obvious next test of that patience.

Los Angeles signaled familiar intent earlier, adding Edwin Díaz while others expected payroll restraint this winter. Projections once placed Tucker near $400 million after consecutive All-Star seasons and Silver Slugger honors. The valuation softened following a second-half slump tied to a hand injury and late calf rehab.

With some teams hesitating to push for Kyle Tucker, it has made it easier for the Dodgers to push a short-term contract of 3-4 years for Tucker. Meaning that it will not be a big load on the Dodgers payroll, and Tucker will get the $40 million AAV that he wants.

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That silence has consequences, and Los Angeles rarely misses opportunities created by hesitation. For the Dodgers, Kyle Tucker represents leverage, timing, and a market finally blinking first. If patience wins again, Los Angeles secures flexibility while Tucker secures his preferred AAV.