{"id":521778,"date":"2026-01-17T02:43:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/521778\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T02:43:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:43:13","slug":"dodgers-score-again-in-signing-kyle-tucker-baseball-world-cries-foul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/521778\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers score again in signing Kyle Tucker; baseball world cries foul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Using a playbook familiar to their front office, the Dodgers waited until the market for slugging outfielder Kyle Tucker dwindled before making him an offer short on duration but generous in dollars.<\/p>\n

The result is the defending two-time World Series champion plugged the only hole in its lineup with another superstar \u2014 one regarded by many analysts as the prize of this free agency class. The contract Tucker agreed to Thursday night is for $240 million over four years, with a $64-million signing bonus and $30 million deferred. He also will be able to opt out of the deal after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a major development that caused immediate consternation throughout baseball. The Dodgers are in a league of their own when it comes to spending on payroll.<\/p>\n

Or as ESPN analyst Jeff Passan put it: \u201cFans feel like this game is unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n

To which Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote<\/a>, \u201cSo what? Who cares? If three consecutive titles blows up the game, so be it. The Dodgers\u2019 only responsibility is to their fans, and they have more than fulfilled their civic duty, and that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chicago <\/p>\n

Kyle Tucker rounds the bases after homering for the Cubs during Game 4 of National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. <\/p>\n

(Nam Y. Huh \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Projections early in the offseason put offers for Tucker at around $400 million over 10 years, but the only team that reportedly entertained a deal that long was the Toronto Blue Jays. The New York Mets made an offer close to that of the Dodgers, but Tucker opted for L.A.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers employed similar strategy in snaring first baseman Freddie Freeman and starting pitcher Blake Snell in recent years and closer Edwin D\u00edaz last month, patiently allowing media hype to dissipate and waiting out the market before pouncing with short-term offers at astronomical yearly salaries. <\/p>\n

The average annual value (AAV) of Tucker\u2019s contract as calculated by Major League Baseball will be a record $57.1 million, blowing past the previous highs set by the Mets\u2019 Juan Soto ($51 million) and the Dodgers\u2019 Shohei Ohtani ($46.06 million) the last two offseasons.<\/p>\n

Ohtani is now Tucker\u2019s teammate, as are amply paid stars Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Freeman and Snell. And on and on. The Dodgers\u2019 estimated competitive tax payroll of $402.5 million <\/a>is more than the combined spending of the A\u2019s, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and Miami Marlins.<\/p>\n

Who do the Dodgers have to thank for such largess? <\/p>\n

Start with Ohtani. When the two-way star signed a record 10-year, $700-million deal two years ago, he agreed to take home a paltry $2 million a year and defer the remaining $68 million. That covers Tucker\u2019s salary and then some. <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget the $8.35-billion, 25-year TV deal<\/a> with Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) in 2013 that created the Dodgers\u2019 SportsNet LA channel. Meanwhile, many teams have seen their TV revenue drastically reduced. <\/p>\n

The settlement also approved the sale of the Dodgers <\/a>from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group fronted by Magic Johnson and run by Mark Walter that has greenlighted the lavish payroll spending.<\/p>\n

\"Dodgers <\/p>\n

The Dodgers celebrate after winning Game 7 of the World Series over the Blue Jays in Toronto last fall. <\/p>\n

(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

And be sure to thank the fans who pack Dodger Stadium at each of the 81 home games, spending on parking, concessions and merchandise in addition to increasingly expensive tickets. Attendance last year was 4,012,470, a Dodgers record,<\/a> the highest in MLB and nearly 600,000 more than the next-highest attendance, that of the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers averaged 49,537 fans per home game.<\/p>\n

The response around baseball to Tucker\u2019s contract was as shrill as it was predictable. Cries for a salary cap when negotiations begin for a new collective bargaining agreement at season\u2019s end peppered social media. Some even advocated owners locking out the players if they don\u2019t agree to level the hot-stove playing field. <\/p>\n

Anything to stem the spending of a franchise enjoying a revenue model that enables it to spend on salaries unchecked while breaking no rules.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dodgers theoretically aren\u2019t doing anything wrong,\u201d ESPN analyst Chris \u201cMad Dog\u201d Russo said Friday on \u201cThe Dan Patrick Show\u201d<\/a>. \u201cBut the rules have to change. This is getting to be a joke.\u201d <\/p>\n

Russo then proceeded to list the reasons players gravitate to Chavez Ravine: \u201cPlay in L.A. Winning team. Great organization. Good weather. Have a chance to be in the World Series every year.\u201d <\/p>\n

Under baseball\u2019s rules, the Dodgers are punished financially for their gleeful spending. Competitive balance taxes \u2014 also known as luxury taxes \u2014 are imposed when payrolls reach certain thresholds. The Dodgers have blown past the highest level and must pay 110% of every dollar they spend above $304 million, meaning their commitment to Tucker will cost them $500 million \u2014 $240 million to the player and roughly $264 million to MLB in taxes.<\/p>\n

By any measure that is a lot to pay a player who batted a ho-hum .266 with 22 home runs, 73 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases in an injury-marred 2025, his lone season with the Chicago Cubs. Tucker was a three-time All-Star during seven seasons with the Houston Astros.<\/p>\n

What does MLB do with the luxury tax revenue? Half is distributed to small-market teams, ostensibly to increase their spending on salaries.<\/p>\n

Tony Clark, executive director of the players union, concedes that the system might need tinkering but is adamantly opposed to a salary cap.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues,\u201d he told The Times\u2019 Bill Shaikin. \u201cWhile the free agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commissioner Rob Manfred, who will sit across the negotiating table from Clark when a new CBA is hammered out a year from now, is careful not to cast blame on the Dodgers while acknowledging that other teams and their fans are frustrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization,\u201d Manfred said during the team\u2019s spending frenzy a year ago. \u201cEverything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules<\/a>. They\u2019re trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recognize, however \u2014 and my email certainly reflects it \u2014 there are fans in other markets concerned about their team\u2019s ability to compete. We always have to be concerned when our fans are concerned about something. But pinning it on the Dodgers? I\u2019m not in that camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if CBA negotiations reach an impasse and players indeed are locked out and go unpaid until they return, Tucker\u2019s contract provides a hedge for that as well \u2014 $54 million of his signing bonus is payable now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Using a playbook familiar to their front office, the Dodgers waited until the market for slugging outfielder Kyle…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":521779,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5123],"tags":[232192,1582,276,232191,3853,2442,1888,1910,6276,2961,224,5337,1266,9323,16931,5950,16795,3007,124365,1628],"class_list":["post-521778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-baseball-world","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-contract-tucker","tag-deal","tag-dodgers","tag-fan","tag-game","tag-l-a","tag-la","tag-los-angeles","tag-losangeles","tag-mlb","tag-player","tag-salary","tag-season","tag-spending","tag-team","tag-tucker","tag-year"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115908143174748141","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=521778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/521779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=521778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=521778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=521778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}