Free agency for some of the biggest names has gone slower than baseball might've expected.
But it's Jan. 5, and the likes of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger all remain on the open market.
Tucker is the consensus No. 1 free agent, and that hasn't changed, but there's a chance he ends up with less money than anticipated now that his free agency is dragging just a bit.
Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly has been keeping track of the top free agents all offseason.
Originally, Kelly predicted Tucker would sign a 10-year deal for $360 million to join the New York Yankees.
Now, Kelly predicts Tucker to take eight years and $288 million to go to the Blue Jays.
"Given the lack of teams who seem to have Tucker as their top priority, we've downgraded our contract projection for the 29-year-old to an eight-year deal, as opposed to the original 10-season projection," Kelly writes. "He can probably live with that, especially if he still gets an opt-out clause. "Tucker is a native of Tampa Bay, but there really hasn't been buzz tying him to the Rays. However, he visited nearby Dunedin—the spring training home of the Blue Jays—in early December. Tucker could be the piece to help get Toronto over the top after they came so close to winning it all a season ago."
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Tucker joined the Chicago Cubs before the 2025 season in a trade for multiple legitimate assets, yet the Cubs have shown no interest in re-signing Tucker after just a year in town.
That hasn't stopped the big markets from lining up, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who feel like a threat for every big free agent there is.
The Blue Jays have popped up more and more, though, and the Yankees seem more likely to try and retain Bellinger. If it shakes out like that, it certainly adds intrigue to the 2026 AL East Division race.
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