Kyle Tucker’s free agency is going to be the top storyline of the offseason, and the Chicago Cubs face an uphill battle to bring him back this winter.
The Cubs have never given out a contract worth over $200 million, and The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently projected Tucker would sign for $427 million this offseason. That doesn’t seem like it’s a very good fit in free agency.
MLB.com did a poll that asked 46 voters where they thought Tucker would sign. The top team in the poll was the Los Angeles Dodgers, as 50 percent of the voters predicted Tucker to the Dodgers.
“Half of our voters think the No. 1 free agent in this year’s class will end up on the No. 1 team in the land — and the vast majority think his time in Chicago will come to an end after one year,” MLB’s Mark Feinsand wrote. “Teoscar Hernández has manned right field for the Dodgers for the past couple of seasons, but the reigning World Series champs could easily move him over to left field — a spot where L.A. didn’t get a whole lot of production last year — and put Tucker at his natural position.
“Even though a right hand fracture and a left calf strain impacted his second-half performance last season, Tucker still posted a stellar .266/.377/.464 slash line with 22 homers, 25 steals and a 136 wRC+ through 136 games. The 28-year-old topped 4.0 fWAR for the fifth consecutive season, and his 23.4 fWAR since the start of 2021 ranks 10th in the Majors.”
Tucker would fit perfectly with the Dodgers. He would fill in at their biggest offensive hole in the outfield in a huge way.
The Dodgers made a small effort for Juan Soto last offseason, which shows they still have the money to spend. Giving Tucker $400 million would solidify them as a dynasty in baseball.
The fit becomes even better if Tucker is willing to take some deferred money in his deal, which a lot of Dodgers players have done in the past.
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