Ex-Astros slugger Kyle Tucker now linked to deal with Dodgers for massive price, but it’d be different than expected

Jon Conahan

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Ex-Astros slugger Kyle Tucker now linked to deal with Dodgers for massive price, but it’d be different than expected image

The Los Angeles Dodgers have proven time and time again that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to land elite talent. 

As we’ve all seen, Andrew Friedman will never lose out on a player he wants. 

Some are starting to think that Kyle Tucker could be one of those players who fit that mold.

Tucker is one of the most talented pure hitters not just on the market, but in baseball. 

However, the free agency process for many of the top players available obviously hasn’t gone as planned. The former Houston Astros star seems to be in that boat at the moment.

If Tucker’s market were to be much different than it seems, despite it being quiet in a sense, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioned the idea of him potentially taking a four-year deal with opt-outs and high AAV. If Tucker were to get $45 million AAV but have opt-outs, it might make sense all around.

“Tucker on, say, a four-year deal with opt-outs and a massive AAV would be a classic Friedman add. The idea also might appeal to Tucker’s low-key personality. Rather than the center of attention, he would be perhaps the Dodgers’ fifth- or sixth-biggest star,” he wrote.

Hitting in a lineup where he doesn’t have to be the star might be something he wants or doesn’t want. He was among some very good hitters in Houston and was clearly the best hitter in Chicago. 

If people want to, they could make an argument that Tucker would be the best hitter in Los Angeles outside of Shohei Ohtani, but there will also be days when Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and maybe a few others would be better.

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Contributing Writer