Dodgers pursuing Kyle Tucker would continue grand tradition

The Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the World Series to defend the title they gained final 12 months after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers out of the NLCS, however whereas they wait to see which of the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays will emerge from the ALCS to problem them for the Commissioner’s Trophy, it seems their entrance workplace has already directed one eye in the direction of the approaching offseason. Jon Heyman of the New York Post stories that Los Angeles is anticipated to focus on star outfielder Kyle Tucker when free company opens up following the World Sequence.

Dodgers have an extended historical past of focusing on MLB’s high free brokers

The information is hardly a shock, because the Dodgers are routinely concerned with the sport’s marquee free brokers. They famously gained the sweepstakes for each Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the course of the 2023-24 offseason, and whereas final winter noticed them miss on younger famous person Juan Soto after touchdown as one among 5 finalists for his companies, they nonetheless went on to spend loads in free company as they introduced in Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott amongst quite a few different signings and re-signings.

Spectacular because the Dodgers have been this 12 months, one among their few main flaws is manufacturing within the outfield. Andy Pages (113 wRC+) has emerged as a reliable common in heart area, however Teoscar Hernandez (102 wRC+) took a big step again final 12 months relative to his first season in Los Angeles and the Michael Conforto experiment ended disastrously as he posted a wRC+ of simply 83 with unfavorable WAR in 138 video games earlier than being left off the membership’s postseason rosters. With Conforto headed again into free company this winter, there’s a gap on the grass in Los Angeles that Tucker might match into fairly properly.

Tucker, 28, is a four-time All-Star who’s the consensus decide for this winter’s high free agent. He broke out with the Astros again in 2021, and since then he’s hit a sensational .277/.365/.514 (143 wRC+) throughout 5 seasons of labor. His resume was spectacular sufficient that the Cubs have been satisfied to give up high prospect Cam Smith and All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes (alongside younger starter Hayden Wesneski) in a three-player package deal to amass Tucker forward of his remaining 12 months underneath crew management. Tucker was every part the Cubs have been hoping for within the first half this 12 months, as he slashed .291/.295/.537 with 17 homers in 83 video games by way of the tip of June.

At that time, Tucker appeared more likely to discover himself on the heart of discussions about whether or not or not he’d be part of Ohtani, Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in touchdown a assure of greater than $500M this winter. Issues took a flip for the more severe within the second half, nevertheless. Tucker made two journeys to the injured listing and hit simply .225/.348/.342 in 53 video games from July 1 onward, leaving him with fewer homers (22) in 136 video games this 12 months than he managed in 78 video games throughout his injury-shortened 2024 season (23).

Kyle Tucker’s nonetheless sure to get $300M-$400M deal

Heyman writes that Tucker’s powerful second half has knocked down his anticipated price ticket considerably, however {that a} $300M contract might nonetheless be sensible with even $400M as a doable objective for the outfielder’s camp. That’s the kind of price ticket that’s positive to offer pause to loads of suitors, ought to it come to fruition. 

That’s unlikely to be the case for the Dodgers, who’ve a payroll of $395M this 12 months, in line with RosterResource, and can see that determine drop to $329M subsequent 12 months with out making offseason additions. Even when the Dodgers aren’t prepared to surpass this 12 months’s payroll (and there’s been no indication that’s the case so far), they’d nonetheless have loads of room within the funds so as to add Tucker in the event that they so select.

Key problem: Dodgers set to have competitors for Kyle Tucker’s companies

Taking a look at different potential suitors, the Cubs have indicated not less than some interest in bringing Tucker again into the fold subsequent 12 months. With that mentioned, it must be famous that they’ve by no means spent greater than the $184M they gave Jason Heyward in the course of the 2015-16 offseason on a contract in membership historical past. That will be a big soar out of the membership’s obvious consolation zone underneath chairman Tom Ricketts and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, although it might be argued that buying and selling for Tucker within the first place was equally out of character.

Heyman additionally means that the Pink Sox, Phillies and Giants might be within the combine for Tucker’s companies, although none of these potential touchdown spots are fairly as apparent suits as Los Angeles is. Boston has a really crowded outfield combine as it’s, with Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu all left-handed outfielders underneath long-term crew management who belong in on a regular basis roles and profile finest in a nook. The Phillies have made it clear their high precedence this winter is retaining star DH Kyle Schwarber, and it stays to be seen if the Giants are excited by including one other nook bat on a large contract after buying and selling for Rafael Devers again in June.