After a day full of anxiety and anticipation all over baseball – but especially in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto – on Thursday night we all learned that Kyle Tucker, a four-time All-Star and arguably the top free agent this offseason, will sign with the Dodgers. The Dodgers got their guy, too.
Here are some quick takeaways from the deal:
1. The Dodgers really needed him
My colleague Mike Petriello, last week, ranked the eight teams with the greatest need for Tucker. He had the Dodgers third, and for good reason. As he noted, for all the MVPs they had on their roster last year, their outfield was actually a mess. The Dodgers’ outfield ranks 18th in FanGraphs WAR in 2025 and was actually slated for that spot in 2026 — before this signing, anyway.
If you’re looking to defend your title (again), going into the season with the 18th best baseball field isn’t the best way to do it. Tucker fits right in for the Dodgers, and at 28 years old (if he makes it to his birthday on Saturday), he’s actually one of the youngest guys on that roster. The Dodgers have a lot of strengths, but before this signing, the outfield was not one of them. Now.
2. They are increasingly relying on free agency, however
It’s not like the Dodgers aren’t in the minors; back in August, MLB Pipeline ranked their farm system as the best in baseball. But this team, unlike when this Dodgers run began, is no longer being built from the ground up. Free center has become the panacea for all of the Dodgers’ problems now, and with that comes an expensive and aging roster.
Sure, the Dodgers can outplay everyone, for now, but that’s not something that will work forever. The Dodgers are an old team now, and they will continue to grow. (Like the rest of us.) As much as it may seem like the Dodgers do, you can’t just go out and get a hitter every season. It will catch up with you. As good as Tucker is, he could be with the Dodgers before you know it.
3. The Blue Jays still can’t shake the Dodgers
Toronto fans will see these Dodgers in their sleep for decades to come. Now it’s the fourth time in three years that the Blue Jays have reached the sky only to have the Dodgers clap their hands on the ground. Shohei Ohtani’s bid for free agency before the 2024 season was a mistake. Then they lost to Roki Sasaki before the ’25 season. Then there was that World Series a few months ago that you might vaguely remember.
And now this. Tucker was a perfect fit for the Jays in many ways, a team that had added a lot this offseason but was looking for an addition that they hoped would put them over the top. They could still use an upgrade in their lineup, and they’ll look for one wherever they can find it. Whoever they’re after … they hope the Dodgers stay away from him.
4. As always, everything goes with the Dodgers
The Dodgers were the signature breed of the decade before they won their second consecutive World Series. The last time the Dodgers missed the playoffs was 2012. They are always here, and should always be counted. But every year, whatever you think of them, they always come out and try to make themselves better than the year before. This doesn’t guarantee them anything, of course. If the craziness of that 2025 World Series teaches us anything, it’s that the Dodgers aren’t head and shoulders above anyone else, that they’re vulnerable and have to scratch and claw just like everyone else.
If you’re going to get to where they are, however, if you want what they have, you have to go out and get it from them. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball, and they got a little better on Thursday night. They are the team that everyone looks up to, and is jealous of, and tries to beat — always.
