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The offseason isn't really in full swing until the Dodgers make waves on the open market.
One month after making a big splash by signing closer Edwin Díaz at the Winter Meetings, the Dodgers poured it on by agreeing to terms with star outfielder Kyle Tucker on a four-year, $240 million contract, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The top talent on the market is coming to L.A. yet again, as has been the case these past few offseasons.
Here's a breakdown of what the Tucker deal means for the Dodgers:
What are the full details of Tucker's contract, and how much will he cost the Dodgers in total?
A source confirmed the following to Feinsand: Tucker's contract includes opt-outs after the second and third years. There is a $64 million signing bonus and $30 million in deferred money.
Tucker comes at an additional cost because he turned down a qualifying offer from the Cubs at the start of the offseason. Díaz also declined a QO. For a Competitive Balance Tax payor like the Dodgers, signing multiple free agents with a QO attached means that the team will lose its second-, third-, fifth- and sixth-highest picks in the upcoming Draft, as well as $1 million from its international bonus pool.
“I mean, it's a real cost, so try to bake it in and factor it into the decision," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said after the team agreed to terms with Díaz during the Winter Meetings. "You never want to be flippant about this, but we have a really strong and deep farm system. And so it at least helps mitigate it some, but it's a real cost associated.”
What might the Dodgers lineup look like with Tucker?
No matter which configuration manager Dave Roberts chooses, he can hardly go wrong. Tucker mainly hit in the two-hole last year with the Cubs, but the Dodgers could opt to drop him down to keep their top three of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. At full strength, here's how that could look:
DH Shohei Ohtani
SS Mookie Betts
1B Freddie Freeman
RF Kyle Tucker
C Will Smith
LF Teoscar Hernández
3B Max Muncy
CF Andy Pages
2B Tommy Edman
Alternatively, the Dodgers could choose to evenly disperse their hitters by handedness. That could have Tucker batting as low as fifth. He hasn't started that low in the order since 2023, but that speaks to the depth of this lineup.
DH Ohtani (L)
SS Betts (R)
1B Freeman (L)
C Smith (R)
RF Tucker (L)
LF Hernández (R)
3B Muncy (L)
CF Pages (R)
2B Edman (S)
How does Tucker affect the Dodgers' outfield picture?
It brings some clarity to the Dodgers' outfield alignment. Tucker should take over in right field, shifting Hernández to left and keeping Pages in center. Tucker did not grade out as an elite right fielder last year with minus-2 outs above average, but he should be an improvement over Hernández, who was worth minus-9 OAA, fourth-worst among qualified right fielders.
Because the Dodgers' 40-man roster is full, they will need to make a corresponding move to make Tucker's acquisition official. If they choose to create space from their existing outfield depth, then fellow left-handed-hitting outfielders Michael Siani and Ryan Ward could be the most logical options to be on the move. Otherwise, the Dodgers have a surplus of pitching depth on the 40-man roster, but they're not necessarily eager to subtract from it.
How might the Tucker deal affect the Dodgers' top prospects?
L.A.'s farm system is rich in outfielders, including four of its top five prospects, according to MLB Pipeline: Josue De Paula (No. 1), Zyhir Hope (No. 2), Eduardo Quintero (No. 3) and Mike Sirota (No. 5). Many of the outfield prospects are projected to be MLB-ready in the next two years, but there's no clear spot for them as things stand.
The highest-ranked outfielders in the system have yet to reach Triple-A, so they have plenty of development ahead of them. The shorter-term deal with Tucker could be the bridge to when these players are ready to be everyday big leaguers, even if he opts out. It could also limit their chances to get their feet wet in the Majors, but opportunities tend to arise in spite of teams' best-laid plans.
What else might the Dodgers do this offseason?
With Tucker in the fold, the Dodgers no longer have any glaring needs. They can always improve on the margins, and they will surely act in the right situation. As of now, they look like a team that can make a legitimate bid to three-peat as World Series champions.