The former Cubs outfielder joins the Dodgers on a shorter deal with a huge annual payout.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Cubs were not going to bring back outfielder Kyle Tucker. For whatever reason, they showed little interest in bringing him back. The Cubs instead pivoted to a major signing of third baseman Alex Bregman, which you know all about by now.
But It is a minor surprise that Tucker agreed to a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers this evening.
Tucker was rumored to be choosing between a long-term deal with the Blue Jays and shorter-term deals with higher annual salaries from the Mets and Dodgers. Clearly with a $60 million deal over four years, he went with the shorter deal, although we don’t know what kinds of deferrals are in the contract at this time. He also joins the two-time defending World Series champions in what could be called a Super Team. In fact, I’m sure someone will.
In Tucker’s lone season on the North Side, he hit .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He was the starting right fielder for the National League in the All-Star Game. However, he fell off greatly in the second half and struggled with injuries.
That second half and the injuries may be why Tucker didn’t get the kind of mega-deal that many predicted. He was widely predicted to get a deal in the $300 to $400 million range and while we don’t know what Toronto offered, he got far less than that. But Tucker decided to go for less guaranteed money and a chance to go back on the market in two years, so he still has time to for a rec0rd-breaking deal in two or three years.
We thank Tucker for his time on the North Side and wish him luck (but not too much) with the Dodgers.
Category: General Sports
