After receiving several offers as a free agent, Kyle Tucker was finally seduced by the track record of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It’s an important decision, so you have to weigh the pros and cons,” he said.
“But this team, this city and these fans make the decision a little easier. At the end of the day, that’s exactly what we wanted to do: come here, be a part of this journey and try to win the World Series again. »
Tucker signed a four-year contract worth $240 million, choosing the Dodgers, two-time defending champions of Major League Baseball’s Fall Classic, over the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, World Series runners-up.
He can opt out of his contract after the second and third years of the pact.
Tucker’s average annual value of $60 million is the second highest in baseball history, excluding deferred payments, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year contract with the Dodgers that runs through 2033.
“No one has impacted our chances of winning the World Series in 2026 more than Kyle Tucker,” general manager Brandon Gomes said.
Tucker’s signing has reignited discussions about the possibility of owners proposing a salary cap as part of the collective bargaining agreement renewal, after the Dodgers added another star to one of the teams with one of the highest payrolls in sports.
“We don’t pay a lot of attention to that because we play by the rules and do everything we can to put ourselves in the best possible position, short-term and long-term, and we don’t think about more macroeconomic issues outside of that,” said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations.
“It’s about how we can win as many games as possible and put ourselves in the best position to win the championship in 2026 without really jeopardizing our future and falling over the proverbial cliff. »
Tucker will play right field and likely slot in at second or third in the batting role, manager Dave Roberts said. Teoscar Hernández will move from right field to left field.
“This organization is first class, top to bottom,” Tucker said.
“It will be a lot of fun to play with these guys and try to win a third straight title here. »
Tucker said he chose the number 23 in honor of Michael Brantley, his former Astros teammate, who wore the number before retiring in 2022.
