LOS ANGELES, CA—After what was viewed by many as a slow offseason across Major League Baseball, the league’s top free agent, outfielder Kyle Tucker, has reportedly found his new team: the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tucker, 29, entered the offseason as the consensus top free agent in the sport, with many experts projecting the former Houston Astro and four-time All-Star to net a long-term deal north of $400 million. However, after sitting on the open market for the winter and spring training around the corner, he settled for a short-term high-AAV deal with Los Angeles.
The deal, as reported by multiple insiders, is reportedly a 4-year, $240 million deal with opt-outs after Year Two and Year Three of the contract. The $60 million average salary is the second-highest in MLB history, behind Shohei Ohtani‘s record-breaking $70 million of his 10-year contract signed in 2024.
In the days leading up to the signing, it was reported to be a three-team race between the Dodgers, the New York Mets, and the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, with the latter being the only team to offer Tucker a long-term deal.
According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Mets, led by owner Steve Cohen, also offered Tucker possibly $50 million per year, which was dwarfed by the Dodgers’ reported offer.
The Dodgers used a similar strategy in 2019 when Bryce Harper was a free agent, offering him a short-term deal with a high annual salary before he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Tucker, 28, a four-time All-Star, is widely regarded as this winter’s top free agent. He emerged with the Astros in 2021, and over five seasons, he has posted an impressive .277/.365/514 line (143 wRC+).
While Tucker’s performance declined in the second half, Tucker spent two periods on the injured list and posted a batting line of .225/.348/.342 in 53 games from July 1 onward, ending the year with 22 home runs in 136 games—a total fewer than the 23 homers he hit in just 78 games during his injury-abbreviated 2024 season.
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