The longer the Kyle Tucker free agency saga goes, the more it could benefit the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles are unlikely to give the free-agent hitter a long-term contract, but something short-term would be something that the Dodgers could do.
On the Jan. 7 edition of “Dodgers Territory,” Katie Woo, who covers Los Angeles for The Athletic, shared what she knows regarding the team’s interest in Tucker as spring training nears.
“A shorter-term deal is the only way Kyle Tucker is going to come to LA,” Woo said. “Now I’m not sure if that same logic applies to the Mets or the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are having a very Dodgers-esque offseason anyway. I don’t think we can rule anything out. We certainly saw that with Edwin Diaz.
“I mean, the day before the signing happened, [Dodgers executive vice president and general manager] Brandon Gomes was saying that the Dodgers felt they were really good about their bullpen and didn’t feel like they needed to make any additions. The Dodgers don’t need to make any additions in their outfield, but they certainly are capable of doing so, and that’s what makes them dangerous.”
Dodgers Could Become Prominent Contender for Kyle Tucker
Moreover, Woo noted that as the MLB calendar approaches spring training, the Dodgers could become a serious player for Tucker, who might need to re-evaluate his options if it gets to that point.
“If we get closer and closer to spring training, again, just roughly a month away, and these deals start to fall, is there any team better suited to offer a short-term, high-AAV deal than the Los Angeles Dodgers? I would say no,” Woo added. “And that’s why Kyle Tucker seems to garner so much interest here.
“We talked about it already on the show. [The Dodgers] wanted outfield help. They wanted to make some additions there… But if the price point falls in terms of years, expect the Dodgers to be a much bigger play. We’re going to hear more about them for Kyle Tucker.”
Kyle Tucker Might Have to Accept Shorter-Term Contract
One person who believes that Tucker will need to settle on a short-term contract is former MLB manager Steve Phillips. Phillips doesn’t see a 10-year contract coming for the outfielder, which bodes well for a team like Los Angeles.
“He’s not getting $400 million, and quite honestly, I don’t know that there’s $300 million for him out there,” Phillips said in a Jan. 7 video posted by MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
“The question is: How long of a deal is he going to get? And does it get to $200 million? Because it may end up being that he has to take the shorter-term deal. He’s not getting the 10-year deal at $35 to $40 million per year. He’s not getting that. There’s no indication it’s out there.”
Phillips also notes that the Dodgers would jump on a short-term deal for Tucker, and so would the Toronto Blue Jays and potentially the New York Mets.
“What we’ve heard, at least based upon what we’ve heard, is the chatter: Dodgers would be in on a very short-term deal. The Blue Jays are in, but the Mets maybe… but the Mets prefer [Cody] Bellinger over Tucker.”
Dodgers Insider Delivers Big Kyle Tucker Update