If there is one team that doesn’t want to take a quiet approach this winter, it’s undoubtedly the Toronto Blue Jays. The winter meetings have not come, and they have fired off with the Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce additions. So, one thing is for sure: this winter is different, and maybe something franchise-altering is going to happen, starting with Kyle Tucker.

It’s no secret that Toronto wants Tucker, given that he was seen at Dunedin amidst all the rumours. Sure, you can downplay the seriousness of things, given that Dunedin is just a short drive from Tucker’s Tampa home. However, there is no denying that in the grand scheme of winter moves, this is huge, and it shows Toronto and Tucker’s intent.

Going after Tucker might be a gamble, but with Bo Bichette’s future in Toronto looking uncertain, the Jays may feel they have no choice but to take that swing.

Bob Nightingale mentioned, “Tucker, who doesn’t have to be the primary star with Vladimir Guerrero entrenched as the face of the Blue Jays, could be the perfect fit. George Springer’s contract expires in a year, and starter Kevin Gausman’s salary also comes off the books. If Tucker signs in Toronto, it would all but officially end Bo Bichette’s tenure north of the border, where he could wind up in Boston.”

And here is where things get messy: the Boston Red Sox are watching.

Boston has had Bichette for weeks, and multiple insiders, including Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon, and Jon Heyman, have tied Bo Bichette to Boston. According to most, he could be an intriguing alternative for Boston if Alex Bregman leaves. And the fit makes sense, given Bichette has slashed .311 with a .483 slugging and 94 RBIs. And he hits at Fenway, and not to mention, he has family ties in Boston.

And as far as the Jays are concerned, they can actually keep both Tucker and Bichette. Here’s a quick reminder: this is the same organization that offered $600 million for Juan Soto last season.

Tucker and Bichette combined might not reach that number. Financially, it’s not impossible, but strategically, it is a maybe.

Because the Jays didn’t just randomly DFA Yariel Rodríguez. It does feel like a space-cleaning move, maybe for Tucker or maybe for a major trade. But he isn’t the only star the Jays might be after.

Toronto Blue Jays plot savage offseason heist

Kyle Tucker, for sure, might be the star everyone is drooling over. After all, he checks a lot of the boxes, from his speed to his defense, power, and contact. He is the kind of player front offices dream of getting. But the Jays cannot keep just one door open, can they?

Moreover, Cody Bellinger is one name you cannot discount.

Bellinger is coming off his best season since his 2019 MVP campaign, and he didn’t just have a bounce-back year; he roared. His .272/.334/.480 slash line, 29 homers, 98 RBIs, and 5.1 bWAR across 152 games talk about his mantle. Plus, defensively, too, he is better than Tucker for the last couple of seasons, and his price tag will be lower than his, too.

For the Jays who are trying to build a roster around one that’s already stacked with big salaries, this is important.

And here is where things get more interesting: signing Bellinger doesn’t just help the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup; it hurts the Yankees a lot. Because New York rose on Bellinger’s back all year, and even though Toronto was the better team for most of the season, the AL East still came down to the wire.

So if the Jays want to keep that division crown, then poaching one of the best Yankee players is the kind of quiet, ruthless move that a good team makes.