Orioles fans won't like what rival GMs just said about Kyle Tucker's free agency

While maybe not a generational talent like Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto the past two winters, Kyle Tucker is this year's big prize and not far off from the stratosphere where those two mega-stars reside. Where he winds up will have massive implications, and if some predictions come true, the Baltimore Orioles could be in for a world of pain.

The Orioles won't be in the Tucker sweepstakes, but they have plenty of issues to address in their own right, chief among them fixing the pitching staff. Baltimore will face some stiff competition from the New York Yankees as they look to find a leader for the starting rotation, and will also have to add multiple relievers as they rebuild their bullpen without Felix Bautista.

If they fail on those fronts, they'll be in for a rough 2026, but even if they succeed, the rumblings MLB insider Bob Nightengale has compiled regarding Kyle Tucker might render any upgrades Baltimore makes to its pitching staff moot.

Rumored Kyle Tucker landing spots could cause the Orioles a world of pain

Per Nightengale's report, the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays are both prioritizing a run at Tucker, and rival general managers predict that his landing spot will be with either of those AL East foes or the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tucker winding up in the AL East would put a huge damper on the Orioles' hopes of competing in 2026. The Yankees led baseball in home runs (274), runs scored (849), and OPS (.787), and swapping out Cody Bellinger for an improved model in Kyle Tucker would supercharge that performance.

Meanwhile, fresh off a World Series appearance where they pushed the Dodgers to the limit, the Toronto Blue Jays already have a fearsome offensive attack without Tucker. Toronto led the league in batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.333), while posting the league's lowest strikeout rate at 17.8%. Adding Tucker, who struck out just 14.7% of the time while posting a 14.6% walk rate in 2025, would not only add to that strength; he'd give them the elite left-handed bat that their lineup is lacking.

Either of these two juggernauts strengthening a strength could offset any potential gains the Orioles make in shoring up their weaknesses, and that's if you actually believe that Mike Elias will deliver.

If Baltimore goes the cheap route on the pitching upgrades and Tucker lands with one of their chief rivals, 2026 could look a lot like 2025 did.

Either way, this could be a potential disaster no matter what the Orioles do, and perhaps their best course of action is hoping that the Dodgers save the day by throwing more money at Tucker than either of the other top contenders can stomach. If not, buckle up for another bleak year.