The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams linked to Kyle Tucker, along with the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. On Jan. 14, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan offered a significant update on the situation, suggesting this free-agent saga could be nearing its end.
“I think [the Tucker signing is] going to happen this week, and it could be sooner than that, because I think at this point he understands what the market is,” Passan said during a Jan. 14 appearance on Sportsnet.
“The way that it has played out so far is that the Toronto Blue Jays have really been the only team that has shown the willingness to go as deep as 10 years, potentially.
“Now, the New York Mets have entered the frame, and they’re coming in at $50 million a year, and that is a lot of money for anyone to turn down on an annual basis. Now that the Mets are in at that level, the Dodgers are going to come in, too.”
Jeff Passan Questions Teams Hesitating on Kyle Tucker
Tucker has played eight MLB seasons for the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. He has a .273 batting average, 748 hits, 147 home runs, 490 RBIs, and 456 runs scored, per StatMuse. Moreover, Tucker has won one Gold Glove award, two Silver Slugger awards, and one World Series title.
As a result, Passan questions why teams are hesitant to sign Tucker, although it appears that will happen in the coming days, given that the two free-agent classes that follow are relatively thin on difference-makers.
“My only question, and this is for all 30 teams out there right now, is, have you seen the free-agent classes for the next two years?” Passan added. “The best hitter who’s going to be a free agent over the next two years is probably Jeremy Peña.
“[The] best free agent next year might be Nico Hoerner, a guy who doesn’t even hit 10 home runs a season. It’s not like you have bats like Kyle Tucker, or frankly, even like Bo Bichette, who are going to be out there. If I’m a big-money team right now, I’m trying to take advantage.”
Kyle Tucker Would Fill Dodgers’ Need for Outfield Help
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.
Additionally, while the Dodgers are the reigning back-to-back World Series champions, they do have a weakness in the outfield, which is why going for Tucker makes sense for them.
“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.”
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