Kyle Tucker to Mets?: David Stearns’ short-term philosophy makes it tough

The New York Mets are reportedly one of the teams entrenched in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes this winter, but David Stearns’ recent philosophy of handing out shorter-term deals will not make them a favorite.

Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that the Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays are among the slugging left-handed outfielder’s options as the offseason begins to wind down, roughly five weeks from spring training.

The Blue Jays, who have been the most active team in the majors this winter, are expected to offer a deal longer than the four years that Sammon speculates the Mets are willing to put forward.

Such an offer from Stearns would be less than half of original, early-offseason prognostications, which tabbed Tucker — who owns a career .865 OPS and 162-game averages of 31 home runs and 103 RBI — as a candidate to receive a 10 or 11-year deal worth between $300 million and $400 million.

That has been the Mets’ president of baseball operations’ M.O. this winter, though, which is a stark contrast to the 15-year mega-deal he agreed to acquire Juan Soto a year ago.

He offered star closer Edwin Diaz a three-year deal, which fell just $3 million short of what the Los Angeles Dodgers ultimately signed him for. He was also hesitant over the last two winters to give Pete Alonso the long-term deal that would have made him a Mets lifer. Instead, he did not even extend an offer to the slugging first baseman when he learned that the Baltimore Orioles had put forth a five-year deal, which Alonso agreed to for $155 million.

The clock is ticking, though, and the Mets’ outfield is still without 66% of its starters with Soto as the only certainty in right. Brandon Nimmo was traded to the Texas Rangers in November, opening a void in left field, while center field has been a need for much of the past year after the Jose Siri and Cedric Mullins experiments failed.

Top prospect Carson Benge should have a chance to win the Opening Day job in center, per Stearns, but the team has also been linked throughout the offseason with the Chicago White Sox about a potential trade for Luis Robert Jr.

For more on Kyle Tucker and the Mets, visit AMNY.com