Alex Bregman’s contract is a nudge dream NY Mets target Kyle Tucker can't ignore

If Kyle Tucker joins the New York Mets, it probably won’t be for more than a year (or two). Maybe three? In either case, those hot and heavy Mets rumors involving Kyle Tucker aren’t going to evaporate. He’s holding up the market right now, but the weekend signing of Alex Bregman by the Chicago Cubs gave him a nudge of acceptability to take a shorter contract.

Bregman took one of those patented Scott Boras client contracts that pays you a lot now and even more in the future. It worked out well for Bregman. After getting $36.6 million from the Boston Red Sox in 2025, he’ll now have another $175 million coming from the Chicago Cubs over the next 5 years.

That’s a sweet chunk of change. The $211.6 million over six years far exceeds what was predicted for Bregman last offseason. MLB Trade Rumors had him getting $182 million over 7 seasons.

Kyle Tucker would be a fool to take a long-term deal after seeing what Alex Bregman just did

Bregman isn’t the only one to take one of those beneficial Boras deals. Last offseason, MLBTR had Pete Alonso getting $125 million over 5 years. He ended up with $30 million from the Mets in 2025 and was rewarded with a 5-year deal worth $155 million from the Baltimore Orioles in his second trip through free agency.

It’s definitely harder with Tucker to plug in some numbers and predict what he’ll get now and again next winter. MLBTR had him at 11 years and $400 million for this offseason. Definitely no longer the case, the real key is getting over $400 million over the next 11 seasons.

It starts with an exceptionally high AAV. You offer him $40 million per year, he walks away. $45 million over 4 years? That’s probably closer.

The deal would need to include player options and for sure the goal would be to use them. Tucker would have a long way to go if he makes $45 million in 2026 then re-enters free agency next offseason. For the benefit of rounding numbers off better (and for those with flash photography), let’s just say he gets $50 million per year.

That gives Tucker the need to earn another $350 million over the next 10 seasons in order to match what MLBTR first predicted. It’s not so impossible. He’ll need to average over $35 million per year. It’s lofty but a heavy frontloaded contract, even one that doesn’t last an entire decade, gets him there.

Tucker only loses out on a short term deal if his performance declines so rapidly no one wants to touch him. Baseball salaries should only go up regardless of how the CBA talks go. The $40 million per year player will be commonplace by the end of the 2030s.

A high AAV, lower years deal is precisely what the Mets prefer. The Toronto Blue Jays sound like the only team willing to give Tucker years, but unless it nears 10 seasons, why take it now when there are examples of players doing the exact opposite?

Money may not be Tucker’s lone motivation. It’s not always as easy as throwing the most pennies at someone. An unexpected yet understandable market has developed for Tucker. If he’s paying close attention, he’ll know what to do.