Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker walks through the dugout after flying out in the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field on Sept. 1, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off their journey toward a World Series Championship in 2024 by signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting contract. Then they kicked off their repeat championship with another blockbuster offseason, which included the additions of Blake Snell, Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki.
So as the franchise seeks to make it three championships in a row, speculation has grown that it could repeat that strategy by signing the leading free agent on this year’s market, outfielder Kyle Tucker.
On paper, Tucker would answer a clear need in the Dodgers outfield next year and would help the team ensure its lasting offensive success as cornerstone pieces like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman continue to age. But Tucker is set to command a decade-long deal that could reach as much as $400 million in total, per Spotrac, and ESPN Major League Baseball insider Jeff Passan doesn’t think the team is interested in a very long commitment.
“The Dodgers are not inclined to go 10-plus years on Kyle Tucker…” Passan wrote.
The top-tier nature of Tucker’s talent would seem to make the Dodgers a good fit to sign him. There have been no shortage of predictions that he will head to Los Angeles this winter, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and the staff at The Athletic among those raising the possibility.
But a long-term commitment in the outfield might not make sense for the team as it has several young and promising options waiting in the wings.
“They could also just run back what they did with their outfield last winter, seeking a stopgap option or turning to even some internal choices, according to multiple people familiar with the team’s thinking,” Fabian Ardaya reported for The Athletic. “Arguably, the four best prospects in the Dodgers’ well-regarded farm systems are all outfielders, headlined by Futures Game MVP Josue De Paula, who finished the season in Double A and is the closest of the bunch to the majors.”
With Andy Pages, Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez set to return next year, plus De Paula, Dalton Rushing and some other promising players potentially ready to step into outfield roles in 2027, the Dodgers might not feel like they have an ideal spot for Tucker for the bulk of his next contract. And the team’s designated hitter role will be reserved for Shohei Ohtani for the foreseeable future.
As a result, while the money needed to bring Tucker in might not give the Dodgers much pause, the future plans for their outfield could make him a poor fit in Los Angeles.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/11/11/dodgers-not-inclined-to-grant-kyle-tucker-a-long-term-deal-insider/
