By Fabian Ardaya, Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal
After months of waiting for a resolution, Kyle Tucker, the consensus No. 1 player in this offseason’s class of free agents, agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract on Thursday with the Los Angeles Dodgers, league sources told The Athletic, signing on to be part of a franchise that is looking for a third straight World Series title.
Tucker’s deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years, a league source confirmed. His agreement contains $30 million in deferrals, with $10 million in each of his final three seasons, bringing the net present value of his deal to $57 million per season.
By investing in Tucker’s future to this extent, the Dodgers are getting an elite left-handed hitter with well-rounded skills and substantial playoff experience.
Source confirms: Tucker deal with Dodgers is for four years, $240 million with opt-outs after years two and three. First on terms: @ByRobertMurray
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 16, 2026
The back-to-back reigning champions loomed on the periphery of Tucker’s market throughout the winter. Their presence was a byproduct of their unique position — the Dodgers can do anything, but also don’t have to splurge if they don’t deem it necessary. They needed a closer at the start of the offseason and filled it with the best closer available, Edwin Díaz, when the market for the former Met moved in their favor.
Tucker represented a similar opportunity. The organization’s messaging from the outset of the winter was to wait out the market for the top position players, much like the Dodgers did when they landed Freddie Freeman after his departure in free agency from Atlanta. Tucker represented the cleanest path to addressing the clearest need left on the roster: corner outfield. If not, they would have maintained the option to pivot, remaining on the periphery for some of the top position players left (Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette) while exploring the trade market.
The Dodgers’ willingness to be versatile with Tucker revealed itself in the opt-outs they gave him — a rarity for the organization when handing out contracts. Los Angeles’ deep farm system features plenty of outfield prospects who could break through to the majors by the time Tucker has his first opt-out decision after 2027. Those players helped fuel the Dodgers’ desire to seek short-term, high-AAV deals on the open market and apparently lined up perfectly with what Tucker wanted.
Entering what turned out to be a slow-paced offseason, The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Tucker landing a 12-year contract worth $460 million.
By signing with the Dodgers, Tucker, a low-key personality, will not have to be the face of the franchise.
The Dodgers’ projected lineup entering Opening Day 2026 should look like:
- Shohei Ohtani DH
- Mookie Betts SS
- Freddie Freeman 1B
- Will Smith C
- Kyle Tucker RF
- Teoscar Hernández LF
- Max Muncy 3B
- Andy Pages CF
- Tommy Edman 2B
Heading into his age-29 season, Tucker is already a highly decorated player with a Gold Glove, two Silver Sluggers and four All-Star selections on his resume. The right fielder previously helped the Houston Astros win the 2022 World Series, and he’s competed in the postseason in each of the past seven years.
In trying to extend their competitive window, the Astros made a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Cubs last offseason, trading Tucker for outfielder Cam Smith, infielder Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski.
The Cubs gave up 14 potential years of club control over those players because they correctly believed that Tucker’s production and presence could help boost their group back into the playoffs.
Around the start of the 2025 season, two massive contracts were seen as reference points for Tucker’s free-agent profile. First, the New York Mets authorized Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million megadeal last offseason. And then, shortly after Opening Day, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. decided to stay in Toronto, signing a 14-year, $500 million contract extension with the Blue Jays.
Without Guerrero testing free agency, Tucker had a clear path toward being the top player on The Athletic’s Free Agent Big Board.
While Tucker pushed the Cubs off to the fast start that propelled the club toward its first playoff appearance since 2020, injuries contributed to his quiet second half.
The early clamoring — from Cubs fans and Chicago media personalities — for the team to sign Tucker to a long-term deal subsided.
Tucker is still, without a doubt, an exceptional talent. He was the No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft out of the same Florida high school that produced Wade Boggs and Pete Alonso. He consistently produced 4- and 5-WAR seasons for playoff teams in Houston and Chicago.
