The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed two of the top free agents available this offseason, but the cost associated with bringing Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker into the fold goes beyond their salary.
Both Díaz and Tucker rejected the qualifying offer they received from their former teams, and the Dodgers will now forfeit their second, third, fifth, and sixth-highest selections in the 2026 MLB Draft as a result of signing them. L.A. also loses a portion of their international bonus pool for 2026.
Counting Shohei Ohtani in 2023, the Dodgers have signed three qualified free agents in the past three offseasons.
Signing two qualifying offer free agents in the same offseason is unprecedented for the Dodgers, who place a high value on draft picks under the current regime. However, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman felt comfortable with the decision because of the current state of the organization’s farm system.
“It was a real cost. I don’t think we’ve ever done this before,” Friedman said. “But I think the depth of our system put us in a position where, while the cost is still meaningful, it wasn’t as significant, just because of the position we’re in.
“We have a very strong system up top, but even more than that, I think the depth of our system allows us this one year to have our food budget for the draft meetings exceed our signing bonuses. Which I think might happen this year. So not great by any means, but just trying to balance that with doing everything we could to put ourselves in the best position to win a championship in 2026.”
The Dodgers’ farm system is highly respected around the league, with a poll of MLB executives ranking L.A. at No. 1.
One reason their depth is in such good shape is due to the restraint they showed by not trading away significant prospect capital at the trade deadline. In fact, they brought in more talent than they let go.
MLB Pipeline has two of the prospects acquired, outfielder James Tibbs III and left-handed pitcher Adam Serwinowski, as top-15 prospects in L.A.’s system.
Additionally, the Dodgers received outfielder Mike Sirota in the Gavin Lux trade prior to the start of the 2025 season. Sirota is now the No. 5 prospect in their system, according to MLB Pipeline.
Kyle Tucker’s reason for signing with Dodgers
Tucker reportedly turned down lucrative offers from the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets in favor of joining a star-studded group in L.A.
Not having to deal with the pressure of being the main star on the Dodgers was a motivating factor for him, among others.
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