The Kyle Tucker saga continues.
New York MetsownerSteve Cohen took to Xon Thursday night with the cryptic words, "Let me know when you see smoke," in reference to the Catholic Church's process of electing a new pope.
In a subsequent post, Cohen wrote that the Mets are "waiting for a decision."
For those who don't understand the pope election reference , we are waiting for a decision. That's all I know
— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2)January 16, 2026
USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reportedTuesday that Cohen and the Mets are awaiting a decision from Tucker, the top remaining free agent on the market, having offered him a historic three- or four-year contract that would pay him an average of $50 million a season. If Tucker accepts, it would make him the third highest-paid player by AAV in MLB history, trailing onlyShohei Ohtani($70 million AAV) andJuan Soto($51 million AAV).
Other front-runners for Tucker's services include theLos Angeles Dodgers, who Nightengale said are also offering a "huge" short-term offer, and theToronto Blue Jays, who are reportedly offering a long-term deal for less annual money.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reportedin an appearance on SportsNet that Tucker could sign with a team as soon as this week.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kyle Tucker to Mets? Owner Steve Cohen shares cryptic update