The Los Angeles Dodgers have once again shocked the baseball world by signing a marquee free agent to a record contract.
Two years after adding Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, which was followed last winter by the additions of Blake Snell and Tanner Scott, the Dodgers have now reportedly acquired the most coveted player on the free agent market by signing outfield slugger Kyle Tucker.
“If it wasn’t enough that they have won two consecutive World Series championships,” Bob Nightengale wrote for USA Today. “If it wasn’t enough that they already landed the best closer in baseball in Edwin Diaz. They now signed the best darn player in the entire free agent class, paying him a mind-blowing salary.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Land Kyle Tucker With Record Salary For Position Player
Despite the fact that the Dodgers already have the largest payroll in baseball and are well over the luxury tax threshold, they granted Tucker a four-year, $240 million contract with opt-outs after the second and third seasons, per Nightengale. At $60 million per year, Tucker will now be earning more per season than any other player in baseball history except for Ohtani, who both hits and pitches.
Tucker now solidifies the one area of the Dodgers roster that could make room for any improvement by slotting into the outfield. And his decision to join the Dodgers leaves some other big-market teams, namely the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, looking to pivot.
According to multiple reports, the Mets offered Tucker a contract worth $50 million per season, with the New York Post’s Andrew Battifarano placing the full offer at $220 million over four years. And the Blue Jays might have been the only team willing to sign Tucker to something longer-term, according to ESPN. The Blue Jays also hosted Tucker at their spring training facility this winter, making their interest in signing him pretty clear.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker Sends 5-Word Message After Declining Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets
Late on Thursday night, though, Tucker made it clear he would be declining any offers from other suitors when he broke his silence about his monumental free agency decision on social media.
“Tucker just posted a career highlight video on his Instagram account that ends with his name on a Dodger jersey hanging in a locker,” The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett reported on X, formerly Twitter. “Caption on the post — ‘It’s Time for Dodger Baseball.’”
After trading away or failing to re-sign several incumbent stars, the Mets are left to search for a different marquee addition after missing the playoffs last year. And the Blue Jays might prefer to open next season with their roster as is after already spending more than $300 million on additions this winter, even before Tucker declined their offer.
