The Los Angeles Dodgers signed All-Star free agent Kyle Tucker on Thursday, prompting current players to react via social media.
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani made one of the first moves, immediately following the All-Star on Instagram. Tucker and Ohtani are very familiar with each other, having played against each other often during their respective times in the AL West.
Starting pitcher Blake Snell also sent a simple message, sharing a post of the report of Tucker’s move to his story and adding an emoji.
He wasn’t the only one to add to their story, though, as reliever Brock Stewart also added an emoji to his along with a post of the Dodgers’ projected lineup next season.
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What Does Kyle Tucker’s Move Mean for the Dodgers?
Tucker, the best bat available in free agency this offseason, instantly slots into the Dodgers’ lineup and addresses their biggest remaining need this offseason: The outfield.
The four-time All-Star has proven his ability to hit over the past handful of years, making each of the last four All-Star Games and hitting 20 or more home runs in each of his last five seasons. Even while playing through injury in 2025, Tucker managed 22 home runs and 73 RBIs over the course of the season while maintaining an OPS of .841.
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The outfielder will likely take his preferred position in right field from Teoscar Hernández, moving the veteran back to left field should he remain with the team through the offseason.
With Tucker entering the fold, all nine players in the Dodgers’ projected lineup for the upcoming season have posted a campaign with an fWAR higher than 4.0.
Tucker’s four-year, $240 million contract shoots the Dodgers’ payroll to $413 million in 2026, giving them a luxury tax bill of $161.8 million for the upcoming season — a number higher than 12 MLB teams’ payrolls.
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L.A. will likely remain at the top of the payroll charts for another season after their big-money signing, and are surely doing so with a single goal in mind: Winning the World Series for a third consecutive season.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
