One of the claims that emerged over this past offseason regarding Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker, during his time in the open market as a free agent, was his passion for baseball.
As a result, it came as no surprise that he didn’t receive a long-term contract from any team. Nonetheless, the lack of activity allowed the Dodgers to move quickly to sign Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract, per ESPN.
The deal runs through 2029 and includes a $64 million signing bonus, $30 million in deferred money, and opt-outs after the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Moreover, Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, noted that the team did their work on whether there was any truth to this claim surrounding Tucker.
“With Tuck, you know, obviously, there was some stuff that was written and questions about, you know, how much he likes the game, etc., that, as we dug into it, we found to be pretty unfair,” Friedman said on the Feb. 20 edition of “Foul Territory.” “He’s just a lower-motor guy.
“As we dug on that and got into it, for me, makeup is so much about what you do to prepare yourself to go win a game and how you compete. And I will bet on Tuck with what he does. People say, ‘Oh, he doesn’t take enough swings before the game.’ I think most guys take way too many.”
Kyle Tucker Explains Reason for Heading to LA
On Jan. 21, Tucker was presented to the media in Los Angeles, and one of the questions the former Chicago Cubs star received was about his decision to join the Dodgers, leading the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays to be rejected.
“I mean, there’s a lot of great ball clubs out there with great teams, and they all have unique things that make them great,” Tucker said (h/t Dodgers Nation). “But, like I said, I think this organization from the top down is first class, and the team that these guys put together and assembled to give a great product for the fan base in the city to go out there and compete for a championship kind of speaks for itself.
“Just kind of taking everything into account and wanting to be a part of that, I think, is very special. You don’t really get that very often. It’ll be a lot of fun playing with these guys and competing for another, hopefully a three-peat here.”
Dodgers GM Sees Kyle Tucker as a Fit for the Team
Tucker has spent eight seasons with the Houston Astros and Cubs, compiling a .273 batting average with 748 hits, 147 home runs, 490 RBIs, and 456 runs scored, per StatMuse. He has earned one Gold Glove, two Silver Sluggers, and was part of a World Series–winning team.
Moreover, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes shed light on why Los Angeles felt that moving in for Tucker was the right move for the ball club.
“Kyle being one of the few free agents we felt could really impact our club, we stayed in contact throughout the offseason to make sure we were expressing interest,” Gomes said. “If there was something that made sense for both sides, we would have the ability to bring him on board. And like all of these things, the incredible support from our ownership group to give back to the fans [who] are coming out, and in the packs of four million last year.
“I think we felt like let’s continue to pour into them and to the team, and when we had the opportunity to do it, and this was a real chance to fill a hole that would really impact our team, we did it. It was one of those things where we were kind of waiting around and being in contact, and then it came together pretty quickly over probably five to seven days.”
Dodgers Get Brutally Honest About Alarming Kyle Tucker Claim