SI

Kyle Tucker to Join Dodgers in Free Agency

The right fielder reportedly parlayed a sensational year with the Cubs into a big payday.
Kyle Tucker is reportedly headed west.
Kyle Tucker is reportedly headed west. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Baseball’s rich are reportedly getting richer.

The Dodgers are signing right fielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract with an opt-out after 2027, according to Thursday evening reports from ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers. If confirmed, the signing would add another power bat to Los Angeles’s lineup as it guns for a third straight World Series title.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the net present value of Tucker’s deal is $57 million per year, and the contract contains $30 million worth of deferrals.

Tucker, 28, spent 2025 with the Cubs. Starting fast, he slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs despite playing only 136 games. The Tampa native made his fourth consecutive All-Star game and won a second Silver Slugger, helping Chicago reach the National League Division Series.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, won their second straight World Series title in a thrilling seven-game showdown with the Blue Jays. Toronto was widely thought to be a contender for Tucker’s services, as were the Mets.

Los Angeles is scheduled to open its title defense on March 26 against the Diamondbacks. No team has three-peated as World Series champions since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000, and no National League team has ever accomplished that feat.


More MLB on Sports Illustrated


Published
Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .