Despite multiple reports suggesting the Los Angeles Dodgers would have a relatively quiet offseason and manager Dave Roberts going so far as to say a “big splash” wasn’t needed, the team made waves at the Winter Meetings by agreeing to terms with Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract.
Adding the top closer in baseball to their bullpen is the type of move the Dodgers have completed with regularity since after the 2023 season. And the contract structure is one Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has long said the front office certainly welcomes with a higher annual salary in exchange for a short-term deal.
The signing of Díaz has reignited speculation the Dodgers may linger in the market for Kyle Tucker as he remains available.
According to Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Dodgers’ preference remains a short-term contract with Tucker and a deal similar to what Alex Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox last year:
Los Angeles is unlikely to offer Tucker a six- or seven-year deal, according to a person briefed on the team’s plans. The club, however, would entertain a shorter three-to-four-year deal with a high annual average value, similar to what Alex Bregman landed last spring when he signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Bregman’s contract not only was just for three years, but it included an opt-out clause after the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Bregman opted out of the deal after playing one year with the Red Sox and now is a free agent for the second consecutive offseason.
The Dodgers took such an approach in their pursuit of Bryce Harper in 2019. He instead preferred long-term security and signed what at the time was a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Harper’s contract with the Phillies does not include any opt-out clauses, which was against advice from agent Scott Boras.
There has not been any public indication suggesting Tucker would be open to a short-term contract with the Dodgers or any other team. He reportedly visited the Toronto Blue Jays’ Spring Training facility, and the World Series runner-up presumably would look to sign Tucker to the mega contract that most projections suggest.
Tucker is represented by Casey Close of Excel Sports Management, the same agency of Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Clayton Kershaw, among others with the Dodgers.
Dodgers penalties if signing Kyle Tucker
The Dodgers are due to lose their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2026 MLB Draft, in addition to $1 million in international bonus pool money, as a result of signing Díaz after he rejected the qualifying offer from the New York Mets.
Tucker also turned down the one-year pact from the Chicago Cubs. Thus, if the Dodgers were to sign Tucker, they would forfeit their third- and sixth-highest selections in next year’s Draft.
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