This winter hasn't been an exceptionally aggressive one for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Edwin Diaz being the lone addition. That is, until the Dodgers decided to spend $240 million on Kyle Tucker.
It's a four-year deal for the superstar outfielder, and it adds one of the best players in baseball to an already stacked lineup. But what makes this deal so fascinating is that Tucker's $60 million AAV isn't what the Dodgers will spend; it's a lot, lot more.
As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic revealed, the Dodgers will be on the hook for $57 million in present-day value. But, when adding the luxury tax penalty, the Dodgers will be spending more on Tucker than 11 Major League teams are on their rosters this season.
Dodgers are spending more on Kyle Tucker in 2026 than 11 MLB clubs are for their entire roster
"Net present value of Tucker's deal will be $57M per season, beating Juan Soto's previous record by more than $6M, sources tell The Athletic," Rosenthal reports. "Deferrals total $30 million - $10M in each of the last three seasons."
This report from Rosenthal is a big one, as it reveals the Dodgers will be on the hook for $57 million per-year instead of the $60 million AAV on the surface of this deal before deferrals were known.
But, with the Dodgers over the luxury tax, they will need to pay a 110% penalty on all of this deal. Meaning, Tucker will cost the Dodgers $119.7 million in 2026.
That's a ridiculously high total, and when compared to other Major League teams, it's comically large.
According to Fangraphs 2026 payroll projections, the $119.7 million the Dodgers would be spending on Tucker in 2026 would be more than that of 11 Major League clubs.
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The Cincinnati Reds ($112M), Colorado Rockies ($110M), St. Louis Cardinals ($104M), Minnesota Twins ($101M), Washington Nationals ($96M), Pittsburgh Pirates ($95M), Chicago White Sox ($87M), Athletics ($87M), Tampa Bay Rays ($80M), Cleveland Guardians ($78M), and Miami Marlins ($69M) are all projected lower than Tucker.
While there are some teams that will end up spending more than these totals, by the start of the season, there will surely be at least a few teams spending less on their roster than the Dodgers are on just Tucker.
But even just this example is enough to highlight just how absurd the Dodgers' spending has been in recent years. Tucker's $240 million deal is a wild one.
Combined with his deferrals and the 110% luxury tax penalty, the Dodgers are going to pay $119.7 million for Tucker this season, which is more than 11 MLB teams.
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