With rumors swirling about moves the Baltimore Orioles can make in the offseason, the player in scope is star outfielder Kyle Tucker. After the Orioles missed the playoffs, the team is looking to revive its chances of getting back to the postseason with a huge step in the right direction: the acquisition of Tucker.
The idea of Baltimore being the next destination for Tucker stems from the latest reporting of Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Katie Woo, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. They would write that an “under-the-radar” team that could go after Tucker is the Orioles, based on what some within the MLB believe.
“When asked for an under-the-radar team that could end up engaging with Tucker, two executives from different organizations suggested the Orioles,” The Athletic wrote. “A separate league source said the Orioles are open to pursuing a premium bat, both in terms of price and production.”
There's no doubt that Tucker will be a hot name in free agency after playing with the Chicago Cubs last season, leading to Baltimore having some convincing to do. One other team that could go after him is AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays, per Bob Nightengale.
The interest that the Orioles have in Kyle Tucker
While the Orioles are now led by manager Craig Albernaz, acquiring Tucker could show that the team is ready to get back to prior success, like in 2023 or 2024, when the team won around 100 games. The Athletic would continue to write that it is “unknown” if Baltimore has interest in Tucker since they have other needs, but the reporters would note down a “familiarity” that the star has with the ball club.
“However, whether the Orioles hold a specific interest in Tucker is unknown,” The Athletic wrote. “Also, Baltimore has other needs. For example, they should focus on a top-of-the-rotation starter. And they must rebuild virtually their entire bullpen (though they got a head start on that by acquiring Andrew Kittredge).”
“Still, the Orioles should hold plenty of motivation after a disappointing season,” The Athletic continued. “Also, there’s an element of familiarity; Baltimore president of baseball operations Mike Elias drafted Tucker when Elias worked as the Astros’ scouting director. If Tucker prefers a quieter location, perhaps Baltimore should not be ruled out.”
Last season, Tucker had a .266 batting average to go along with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs IN 136 games as he could potentially look to bounce back with Baltimore, who had a 75-87 record.
