Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker will be at the center of free agency this offseason as he is tracking to be the best position player available. Tucker will have no shortage of suitors this offseason with the Cubs, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies all expected to be involved in the outfielder’s sweepstakes. No, the Baltimore Orioles likely won’t be involved in the bidding.

Considering the Orioles already face an uphill climb back toward relevancy in the American League East, it’s less than ideal that the Yankees and Red Sox will be in on Tucker. However, they may not be the only American League East teams coveting the All-Star outfield.

In a mindless thought exercise at the end of his “What I’m hearing” update for The Athletic, Rosenthal suggests that the Rays could get involved in Tucker’s bidding this offseason.

“As a free agent, Tucker figures to command at least three times that much, maybe more. The range might be far out of Zalupski’s comfort zone. But what better way for a new owner to announce his intentions than by signing the best free agent available?”

With the Rays expected to get out of the Wander Franco contract, and the arrival of a new owner, Rosenthal makes the case for the first splash being the signing of Tucker.

Orioles’ division race could shift if rival pulls off this shocking signing

Tucker’s bidding is expected to exceed $500MM, and with the heavy hitters involved, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if the offers approached $600MM. For that reason, it just doesn’t seem all too realistic that the Rays will make a significant push for Tucker this offseason.

If they did, that would be a nightmare scenario for the Orioles. Tucker’s arrival would push the Rays closer to being one of the best teams in the American League East and create even more work for Baltimore’s front office. Not exactly the situation the Orioles want to be in, considering how far off the rails the 2025 season has gone.