The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers have landed prized free agent Kyle Tucker on a four-year, $240 million contract, sources told ESPN on Thursday night.
The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years, sources said.
The $60 million average annual value is the second largest for a player in MLB history, trailing only Tucker’s new teammate, Shohei Ohtani ($70 million).
Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday, was the top free agent bat on the market. The Mets and Blue Jays also were in the running for him; New York had offered a shorter-term deal believed to be worth $50 million per season, while Toronto had made a long-term offer.
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But he chose Los Angeles and a star-studded Dodgers team, which could be the perfect fit for the laid-back Tucker.
When healthy, he’s one of the best left-handed hitters in the league, but his past two seasons have been marred by injuries — including a fractured right hand and a calf strain that suppressed his second-half numbers with the Chicago Cubs in 2025.
Tucker was tendered a $22.025 million qualifying offer by the Cubs, which he declined by the Nov. 18 deadline. Because he signed with a new team, Chicago will receive a compensatory selection after the Competitive Balance Round B in the draft, around the 75th pick.
Tucker was fantastic in the first half of the season with the Cubs, hitting .280 with 17 home runs while being named to the All-Star team for the fourth time. But he finished with only 22 homers and 73 RBIs in 136 games for the season while being the Cubs’ primary DH in the playoffs. After returning from the hand injury, Tucker struggled at the plate, hitting .218 in July and .244 in August.
Pos.PlayerCWill Smith*1BFreddie Freeman*2BTommy Edman3BMax Muncy*SSMookie Betts*LFTeoscar Hernandez*CFAndy PagesRFKyle Tucker*DHShohei Ohtani** 2-or-more All-Star selections– Projected lineup per FanGraphs
The hand injury suffered in June could have impacted his unique swing as he hit an inordinate amount of ground balls while recovering from the fracture. He has been a solid 5 WAR player since 2021 with only those injuries holding him back from even better seasons.
Defensively, Tucker didn’t have his best year in 2025, but he’s a previous Gold Glove winner who won’t hurt a team in the outfield. He has decent speed, which shows up on the bases; he has averaged more than 20 steals over the past five seasons, including 25 last year despite the late leg injury.
Tucker, whom the Cubs acquired via trade from the Houston Astros prior to last season, won’t be the most outspoken player in the Dodgers clubhouse but has shown the ability to fit in with any group.
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Dodgers are now +250 to repeat as World Series champions. That would be the second-shortest odds by a preseason favorite in the past 20 seasons, behind only the 2025 Dodgers.
Information from ESPN’s Jeff Passan was used in this report.
