The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the biggest spenders in Major League Baseball, and while they aren't likely to go after every top free agent this offseason, they are still one possible landing spot.
Kyle Tucker could come to the Dodgers on a shorter, higher AAV deal. But to make such a contract come to fruition, the Dodgers would need to overcome a major hurdle, which would make a potential contract difficult to sign off on.
As Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic note, the Dodgers, thanks to going over the fourth luxury tax threshold, will need to pay a 110% premium on their free agents.
Simply put, this is bad news for their odds of signing a top free agent like Tucker.
Dodgers get bad news on chances to sign Kyle Tucker, top free agents
"The Los Angeles Dodgers qualify on both counts," The Athletic duo writes, "so their penalty for signing Tucker or any of the other remaining free agents would be 110 percent."
What this means is that if the Dodgers were to sign Tucker to a contract with an AAV of $40 million per year, the Dodgers would be on the hook for $84 million in 2026.
This is a significant deal for the Dodgers, and is likely why they aren't going after Tucker or the other top free agents as strongly.
While they've shown a willingness to spend extra on the luxury tax, evidenced by their $169.4 million in tax from 2025, this would be a lot of money added onto that total.
Signing lower-level names wouldn't sting as much, but this 110 percent penalty is a major deal for their odds to sign the best free agents left on the board.
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A $40 million per-year deal for the Dodgers is more akin to an $84 million deal. But for a team not in the luxury tax threshold like the Dodgers, signing Tucker to a deal would be a lot less taxing.
Thanks to the Dodgers exceeding the luxury tax threshold for at least three straight seasons and having a base threshold over $60 million total, their 110 percent penalty is a huge factor in their offseason plans.
No team is better equipped to spend so big, and the Dodgers could decide to make this work, but it's still a big deal for Los Angeles and the front office to spend so much on one player.
The Dodgers might not pursue Tucker or other top free agents as aggressively as they once might've. It's some bad news for fans, but don't rule them out just yet, as they've shown a willingness to spend big before, and could do so for a player as good as Tucker this winter.
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