The Los Angeles Dodgers are very excited to have Kyle Tucker join the organization after agreeing to a contract with the free agent outfielder.
He remained their top choice to address the need for an outfielder throughout the offseason, over names like Jarren Duran, Steven Kwan and Brendan Donovan.
The Dodgers’ front office views Tucker as a “real needle mover” for their chances of winning a third-straight World Series title in 2026.
Manager Dave Roberts has a similarly high opinion of his newest player, going as far as saying he views Tucker as a potential National League MVP candidate.
Meanwhile, there are those outside the organization who would question Tucker’s passion for the game and his motor.
The 29-year-old is unbothered by the outside noise. A self-assured attitude and having the confidence of his teammates helps ground him.
“I mean, I don’t read into it a whole lot,” Tucker said. “I know what I try to do out on the field and what I bring to the clubhouse. I try and do my best out there regardless of how I feel or what the situation is. I’m going to try and go out there and win games.
“If you’re struggling throughout the season, but you’re able to move guys over, or hit a ground ball to second to get a guy in from third, draw walks and make pitchers work, or make a play on defense, little things like that can add up to a lot of wins throughout the season. Some of the stuff might not show up on the scorecard, but guys in the clubhouse and front office will notice little things like that.
“I just try and block out noise and anything like that. I’m fired up. I’ve been playing in the playoffs for a while now. There’s nothing that really beats that and the excitement that comes with that, so I’m excited to continue that out here.”
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Tucker’s commitment and work ethic came through clearly through their conversations during the negotiations.
“Yeah. I think him talking about the details of the game,” Friedman said. “We’ve talked about this a lot, of how much we value the total player. Impact in the box, the impact on defense, impact on the bases.
“And he talked about that a lot, of how much he cares about the finer points and anything we have that can help him get better in any regard, whether it’s on defense, on the bases, in the batter’s box, he’s all for it and would love to continue to grow and get better.
“So having a guy who has achieved what he has but still have that growth mindset of, ‘How do I get better?’ those are guys that make it easier to bet on.”
Tucker has said not having to deal with the pressure of being the main star was partially what attracted him to the Dodgers. That could be misconstrued as a lack of passion, but decision-makers in Los Angeles felt comfortable offering him a record four-year, $240 million contract after their conversations.
Kyle Tucker deconstructs perception of indifference toward baseball
Tucker guesses his low-key demeanor could be why some question his passion for baseball, but he isn’t hung up on it.
“But I know who I am and everyone in the clubhouse knows how I go about my day,” he said. “That’s all that really matters, trying to keep it close within the clubhouse and guys you work with on a daily basis. I’m excited to join that.”
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