Free agency has yet to move much in terms of position players, which is a group that’s headlined by Kyle Tucker reaching the open market at 28 years old.
Heading into the offseason, expectations were Tucker would be pursued by the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. The incumbent Chicago Cubs didn’t figure to factor into the chase for Tucker given their preference to operate with some financial restraint.
Thus far in free agency it appears the Dodgers might be in that same group, and they aren’t expected to pursue Tucker unless his market fails to fully materialize, according to Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo of The Athletic:
Kyle Tucker still looms as the best available free agent, but the factors that made him an unlikely Dodgers target are still in play (and will be, barring a sudden crash in Tucker’s market).
The Dodgers being reluctant to enter a bidding war for Tucker has been a common theme in the offseason. They previously were reported as having a preference to potentially sign the four-time All-Star to a short-term contract with an increased average annual value.
The Dodgers took that approach under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman in their pursuit of Bryce Harper. 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.
Furthermore, the Dodgers are also reportedly considering more of a temporary solution or finding an internal replacement to their outfield need.
Doing so would allow the team to utilize resources elsewhere on the roster and aligns with the timeline for when Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope or Mike Sirota is ready.
Kyle Tucker visits Blue Jays
As the market waits on a decision from Tucker, he visited the Blue Jays’ Spring Training facility in Dunedin, Fla., on Wednesday afternoon. That generated similar buzz to when Shohei Ohtani did the same before ultimately deciding to sign with the Dodgers.
There’s been some speculation Tucker, a Tampa native, would look to make his way back to the East Coast.
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