Kyle Tucker has long been considered the crown jewel of the 2026 free agent class.
Many throughout the media have assumed he’ll end up in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. LA has a real need in the outfield, and Tucker on paper would appear to be a perfect fit. Money is rarely an issue with this franchise given the amount they print courtesy of back-to-back World Series titles and a host of marketing opportunities within the United States as well as in Asia.
With all of that said, Tucker is seemingly far from a lock to end up with the Boys in Blue.
More news: One Outfielder the Dodgers Need to Trade For to Fix Their Biggest Issue
In fact, ESPN’s Jeff Passan poured some cold water on the notion that the Dodgers are a shoo-in to land the talented left-handed bat.
“Though Tucker makes sense for a Los Angeles Dodgers team in need of a productive outfield bat, sources said their interest is more likely to be on a high-dollar, shorter-term deal,” Passan wrote. “Top free agents, particularly those Tucker’s age (29 in January), rarely sacrifice years for dollars, making Los Angeles a longer shot.”
The Dodgers are surely mindful of the money the team already has committed to a host of players on long-term deals. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto combine to account for over a billion dollars of salary.
Adding Tucker, a player in his late 20s without an elite skill to speak of, is something that could happen on a shorter-term deal. It wouldn’t necessarily be the prudent thing to ink him to a massive nine- or 10-year deal given the possible return — not to mention that the top-four prospects in LA’s loaded system (Eduardo Quintero, Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Zyhir Hope) are all outfielders.
It would be somewhat of a tough pill to swallow in watching Tucker sign with either the Toronto Blue Jays or the New York Yankees. Both figure to be World Series competitors in 2026.
However, from a payroll health standpoint, and a personnel gameplan, Tucker doesn’t appear to be a realistic option unless he opts for a shorter deal with opt-outs.
More news: Ben Rortvedt Sends Message to Dodgers Fans After Joining Reds
Photo Credit: David Banks-Imagn
Have you downloaded the new Dodgers Nation app yet? Click here for Apple Users and here for Android Users to be a part of the redesigned app to give fans everything they need, all in one place. Don’t miss out on live GameCast with play-by-play, news and analysis, Dodgers Nation podcasts and videos, all the stats you want and more!
One Response
Get Jarren Duran instead!