Former Chicago Cubs right fielder joins LA Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — With several offers in free agency, Kyle Tucker was finally swayed by the championship pedigree of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s a big decision, so you have to weigh everything,” he said, “but this team and this city and the fan base makes it a little easier to make some decisions. Ultimately what we wanted to do is come here and be a part of it and try to win another World Series.”

Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract, choosing the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions, over the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, the World Series runners-up. He can withdraw after years two and three.

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“The fact that he chose us when he had others that were longer term and others that were shorter term, I think, is a testament to the growth and progress that we’ve made in creating a destination,” said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations.

Tucker receives a $64 million signing bonus, of which $54 million is payable on February 15 and $10 million on February 1, 2027. He receives a salary of $1 million this year and $55 million in 2027, and he has player options of $60 million for 2028 and 2029.

For each season from 2027 to 2029, $10 million is carried over. The deferred money from all years is payable in 10 equal installments each on December 1 from 2036 to 2045.

He also benefits from a hotel suite for the road series.

Tucker’s $60 million average annual value is the second highest in baseball history, not including deferred money, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year contract with the Dodgers through 2033. With the addition of Tucker’s $30 million in deferred money, the Dodgers owe $1.0945 billion in deferred compensation to 10 2028 players to 2047.

“No one has really moved our World Series odds for 2026 more than Kyle Tucker,” general manager Brandon Gomes said.

Tucker’s signing reignited talk that management would propose a salary cap in collective bargaining after the Dodgers added another star to one of the highest payrolls in sports.

“We don’t pay a lot of attention to it because we operate within the rules and we do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position, both short term and long term, and we don’t think about more macro things outside of that,” Friedman said. “It’s about how can we win so many games and put ourselves in the best position to win a championship in 2026 without really compromising ourselves in the future and falling off the proverbial cliff.”

Tucker will play right field and likely bat second or third in the lineup, manager Dave Roberts said. Ohtani, who usually leads, was practicing on the field at Dodger Stadium before Tucker’s introductory news conference. Teoscar Hernández will move from right to left.

“This top-down organization is first-class,” Tucker said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to compete with these guys and compete for another hat-trick, hopefully, here.”

Tucker donned a No. 23 Dodgers jersey alongside Roberts and Gomes. He wore number 30 for most of his career with the Houston Astros and in his lone season with the Chicago Cubs last year. Roberts wears number 30 in honor of Dodgers star Maury Wills, his mentor.

Tucker said he chose the number 23 in honor of former Astros teammate Michael Brantley, who wore the number before retiring in 2022. They won the World Series that year, although Brantley was sidelined during the postseason.

Tucker has been criticized for his perceived laid-back style of play. In August, Cubs fans booed him for not missing ground balls and for his lack of intensity. He acknowledged that he might be perceived that way because of “a little bit of my behavior.”

“I try to do my best, no matter how I feel or the situation,” he said.

The Dodgers sought out club personnel, training staff, teammates and coaches to learn more about Tucker’s competitive makeup and work ethic.

“His demeanor is such that he is not an outwardly exuberant personality and so I think that can be misinterpreted,” Friedman said. “For us, it’s about how does he compete, how does he work? For that, we’re very confident that when he’s in the box, when he’s in the outfield, he competes as well as anyone.”