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9:04pm: It’s a four-year, $240MM contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Tucker can opt out after the 2027 season. There’s also an opt out after 2028, according to Passan.
8:53pm: Kyle Tucker is in agreement on a deal with the Dodgers, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. It’s a short-term contract, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
The two-time defending champions have done it again. Tucker is the latest superstar addition to what was already MLB’s most feared offense. Tucker slots into a lineup that already included Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman. He’ll join Hernández and Andy Pages as the primary outfielders, with Edman also capable of logging center field action when he’s not at second base.
Los Angeles has four outfield prospects who rank prominently near the top of their farm system rankings. They reportedly wanted to avoid locking in long-term commitments as a result. They’ve accomplished that with one of the biggest annual values in the sport’s history. A four-year, $240MM deal would come with a $60MM AAV on the surface. It’s not yet clear to what extent, if any, potential deferred money will knock that number down in terms of net present value.
As it stands, Tucker’s deal contains the second-highest annual value in history. Ohtani technically landed a $70MM AAV on his 10-year, $700MM guarantee, though the massive deferrals involved meant it had a “true” annual value closer to $46MM. One should therefore view the $51MM annual salary on Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765M deal as the more accurate record holder.
More to come.