By Jacob Becquey

Of all the free agents in the 2025 class, none show more potential than Kyle Tucker. The slugger has a career .865 OPS with 147 home runs across his 2 teams, the Astros and the Cubs.

A lot of big market teams have been linked to Tucker, including the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Dodgers. But what if a different team ended up with the 28-year-old? Here’s 5 dark horse candidates for Kyle Tucker:

#1: The Minnesota Twins

The Twins had a roller coaster of a season, going from a hot start to a fire sale at the trade deadline. Minnesota sold off Carlos Correa, Harrison Bader, Jhoan Duran, Brock Stewart, Louis Varland, and more, essentially cementing their contention window shut.

But what would pry that window open? How about signing a young superstar and building a team around him? The Twins have spent some serious money in the past, most recently with the aforementioned Carlos Correa, and while Tucker will be more expensive, this is an opportunity like no other. If the Twins want to compete, Tucker is their key.

#2: The Los Angeles Angels

The Angels have been a laughing stock for years; Anaheim owns the largest active playoff drought in Baseball, one of the worst contracts in Anthony Rendon, and a ton of confusing moves and deals every year. Despite that, the team appears talented, as they have future Hall of Famer Mike Trout, a decent ace in Yusei Kikuchi, a fine pitching staff, and just a couple of holes to fill on offense.

Signing Kyle Tucker would bolster this offense, making the Halos a unit to be feared. The Angels have a history of spending, so a move of this caliber isn’t out of the question. Sure, it’s a long shot, but at the end of the day, the Angels make surprising moves all the time, so why not one more?

#3: The Detroit Tigers

Detroit has a super talented team, reaching Game 5 of the ALDS in back-to-back seasons. Unfortunately, they’ve fallen short in each of those games, including a 15-Inning classic against the Mariners. The Tigers have a great rotation, a solid bullpen, and a decent offense, so what’s stopping them? That would be star power. Sure, stars aren’t everything in this league, but nobody can deny the aid one can give a franchise.

Kyle Tucker is exactly that: a star. Sure, Detroit’s outfield is already good, but Tucker is an upgrade not only to left/right field, but the offense as a whole, giving the Tigers a scary left-handed bat for teams to strategize against. Sure, the move would be expensive, but with Skubal on the last year of his contract, the Tigers need to go all-in.

#4: The San Francisco Giants

The Giants, after another season hovering around .500, have shown that they aren’t afraid to spend, already commuting money to players such as Rafael Devers and Jung-hoo Lee. However, a lack of offense has kept this team from the 100-win potential we saw in 2021.

Kyle Tucker gives this team an above-average offense, and the pitching has already carried them to .just about 500 for the past 4 years; with Tucker’s bat, the Giants’ ceiling reaches the sky. While they have a lot of money tied up right now, Tucker is a generational bat, so they don’t want to miss out. After all, in such a hard division, you need to go all-out for a chance to win.

#5: The Miami Marlins

Ok, this one is a little ridiculous, but can you blame us for daydreaming?

On paper, this Miami team still has immense talent. The rotation is very solid, featuring Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, and Eury Perez. The offense has room to grow, with many young prospects coming up and a budding star in Kyle Stowers. The bullpen, sure, is not good, but some key players and repairs can come later. For now, let’s focus on the offense.

Saying Kyle Tucker would save this offense would itself be an understatement. Tucker has elite potential, and for a Miami team that needs a lot of help, they can’t just pass up on a player like this. Sure, they don’t spend money, but there’s a first time for anything, right? Again, this one is ridiculous and definitely won’t happen, but man would it be fun so watch Tucker in the 305.

Where do you want Tucker to end up? Tells your thoughts on X, @Full_Count_Blog