Category: MLB

The Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker, landing the top free agent on the market with an eye-popping four-year, $240 million contract. After setting competitive balance tax records in each of thelast two seasons, this move ensured they will stay in that area for at least two more years, if not longer.

But along with the pure financial cost of signing Tucker — $60 million per year on average, or $57.1 million AAV for competitive balance tax purposes accounting for deferrals — comes another penalty.

Tucker was one of nine free agents to reject a qualifying offer in November. Any new team that signs such a player faces a draft-pick loss. As a competitive balance tax payer, the Dodgers’ penalty for signing a qualifying-offer free agent is forfreiting their second- and fifth-highest draft picks. If this sounds familiar, it’s because the Dodgers already signed a qualifying-offer free agent by adding Edwin Díaz in December.

Signing free agents with a qualifying offer isn’t new for the Dodgers, having brought in A.J. Pollock (2019), Trevor Bauer (2021), Freddie Freeman (2022), and Shohei Ohtani (2024) previously. But this is the first time they’ve signed two in the same offseason.

Because the Dodgers gave up their second and fifth-highest picks for signing Díaz, their penalty for adding Tucker will be losing their third and sixth-round selections this July. That leaves a relatively bare cupboard at the top of their draft board for 2026.

The Dodgers’ first-round pick would normally be 30th overall, at the end of the first round after winning the World Series. But because they surpassed the third competitive balance tax threshold last season — they also blew past the fourth (highest) threshold, too — the Dodgers will see their first pick drop 10 slots to 40th overall. We saw this in both 2022and 2024 as well.

The 2026 draft order isn’t yet finalized, as there are still three qualifying-offer free agents remaining on the market — Framber Valdez, Bo Bichette, and Zac Gallen. But we have at least a general idea of when the Dodgers will pick in July.

A team’s draft bonus pool is comprised of the recommended slot values of every pick that team has in the first 10 rounds. Every signing bonus from the first 10 rounds is counted against the pool, as is any amount over $150,000 for picks after the 10th round. Teams are allowed to exceed the bonus pool, with a 75-percent tax on any overage up to five percent over the pool. Any overage above five percent would result in the loss of draft picks. In the 15 years of this system, no MLB team has spent enough to incur this draft-pick penalty.

But the bottom line is the Dodgers will have less to spend than probably any other year of the draft slotting system. If we use the 2025 slot values for each estimated Dodgers pick in 2026, that comes to $3,819,900. The slots and bonus pools increased by 8.7 percent from 2023 to 2024, but only went up by 4.8 percent from 2024 to 2025. If those total Dodgers slot values increase by 4.8 percent this year, they’ll have $4,003,255 to spend. If it goes up by 8.7 percent, they’ll have $4,152,231 to spend.

Either way, it’ll be their lowest bonus pool in the 16 years of the draft slotting system. Their previous low was in 2022 with $4,223,800 to spend, a little below 2021 when their bonus pool was $4,646,700. The Dodgers had a higher bonus pool even in 2020 ($5,928,500) when the draft was truncated to only five rounds.

SNY's Joe DeMayo answers your Mets prospect questions...

How high is Dylan Ross’ ceiling? Feels like his future as a reliever has him being a bit undervalued on prospect lists, but the stuff looks like it could potentially dominate major league hitters given the chance - @aschorling34

Ross was called up by the Mets during the last weekend of the 2025 season, but did not get into any of the final three games against Miami.

The Mets selected Ross in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Georgia. He underwent a Tommy John revision and did not make his professional debut until Sept. 7, 2024, the next-to-last game of Low-A St. Lucie’s season.

In 2025, Ross pitched at three minor league levels, spending most of his time with Triple-A Syracuse. In a combined 54 innings, he posted a 2.17 ERA, allowing only 29 hits and striking out 80 batters. His bugaboo was the 33 walks he issued.

While he will likely never have plus command, there is thought in the organization that with more reps (he has thrown just a combined 66.2 innings since 2022), the command should improve.

Ross is a pure power reliever, with a fastball that will sit at 97 mph and touch 101. That isn’t his best pitch, though, as scouts will give the nod to his low-90s splitter that minor league hitters could not touch, with a 48.3 percent whiff rate. He supplements it with an upper-80s slider that he didn’t throw as much, but had an even higher whiff rate of 67.7 percent.

If Ross can put some more command together, I look at him as someone with high-leverage, setup type potential. He should be squarely in the competition for one of the spots in the Mets bullpen on Opening Day.

When this current top of the farm system graduates, what kind of position will the Mets system be in? Will the Mets still have a high-ranked system, or will it take a few years to get back to the point they are at? - @GreatOnPaperNYM

In general, minor league systems and their rankings generally have ebbs and flows. Right now, the Mets have one of the best farm systems in baseball.

But to your point, there are likely to be multiple graduations in 2026. It starts with the three top arms of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong,and Brandon Sproat.

Outfielder Carson Benge has a chance to crack the Opening Day roster, if not shortly thereafter. Infielder/center fielder Jett Williams, first baseman Ryan Clifford, and relievers Ross and Ryan Lambert are some other names who could potentially be up in 2026 and appear in enough games to graduate.

Whether it is all, or most of the above names, that is as many as six of the top 10 prospects in the system graduating from prospect status.

The Mets' next wave of prospects includes players with high ceilings like A.J. Ewing and Elian Peña, bats that look like future big leaguers in Jacob Reimer and Mitch Voit, as well as another group of pitchers in Jonathan Santucci, Jack Wenninger, and Will Watson. The Mets' most recent international signing, Wandy Asigen,should immediately profile somewhere around the top half of the top 30 with huge upside, but he's years away.

The goal of the organization under senior VP of player development Andy Green certainly includes not having that “dip” last long. A few years would not be considered an acceptable outcome internally. There is a draft every year, and there is international free agency every year as two mechanisms to add talent to the system. The Mets also need to continue developing prospects the way they have the last couple of seasons.

Specifically, they have excelled in pitching development under vice president of pitching Eric Jagers, especially given that they haven’t signed a first-round pick who was a pitcher since David Peterson. Among the six pitchers ranked in the top 12 of the system, only Sproat and Santucci were picked in the first two rounds. Only McLean was picked in the top three. The Mets have been able to identify the right pitchers to draft and have proven to be able to make them better as professionals.

The hitting development took a stride forward in 2025 under Jeff Albert, who is now on the major league coaching staff. There were breakout years from prospects like Benge, Ewing, and Nick Morabito, as well as bounce back years from Williams and Reimer. That momentum needs to be carried into 2026.

The Mets believe they have the infrastructure in place with their scouting and player development departments to sustain a well-regarded farm year over year. While it is fair to expect the system to dip in some public rankings in the next few months, it should not be for an extended period if they are executing their plan.

Major League Baseball's free agent season has finally passed the midway point and is headed for home.

With Kyle Tucker's landmark agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets' lightning-strike pivot to Bo Bichette, half of USA TODAY Sports' top free agents at the outset of winter have found homes, including seven of the top 10. Outfielder Cody Bellinger is now the best position player available, and several difference-making starting pitchers can be had.

But time is running out, with spring training camps opening beginning Feb. 10. A ranking of the top remaining free agents, and a look at who's already signed:

(Ages as of April 1)

1. Framber Valdez (32, LHP, Astros)

Not sure if he’ll sniff the Max Fried rent district for lefty starters but it never hurts when you’re literally one of two on the market. Valdez is consistently right around 200 innings, has a championship pedigree and suppresses the home run ball. Not an ideal conclusion to his Houston era, but it’s also easy enough to hand him the ball and set your alarm clock for September.

2. Cody Bellinger (30, OF/1B, Yankees)

Bellinger topped the 150-game mark for the first time since 2019 and had an excellent season his one year in the Bronx – producing 5.1 WAR, hitting 29 homers and playing typically sound defense. Given his health history, there will be some risk wagering on a hale Bellinger for the next five-plus years – but his overall skill set will be difficult to ignore.

3. Zac Gallen (30, RHP, Diamondbacks)

He led the NL in WHIP (0.91) and the majors in fewest hits per nine innings (5.9) in 2022, but regressed to 1.26 and 8.3/8.1 the past two seasons. He was much better once the trade deadline passed, posting a 3.32 ERA in his last 11 starts.

4. Lucas Giolito (31, RHP, Red Sox)

Giolito finally turned the page on a pair of injury-ravaged seasons to make 26 starts and post a 3.41 ERA, enough to comfortably decline his $19 million player option. Giolito completed at least six innings in 15 of his 26 starts, though he missed a playoff outing with elbow soreness.

Another Brian Cashman/Hal Steinbrenner vs. David Stearns/Steve Cohen battle for a top free agent may be on tap.

After Kyle Tucker spurned the Mets by going to the Dodgers on a four-year, $240 million deal, it could potentially lead to the Yankees and Mets battling for Cody Bellinger.

The Yankees have made it clear that Bellinger is their priority this offseason, while the Mets have shown interest in the talented outfielder/first baseman.

Having lost Pete Alonso to the Orioles and missed out on Tucker, it’s possible the Mets could turn their attention to Bellinger since there are really only two impact bats left in free agency in Bellinger and Bo Bichette.

With rumors linking the Phillies to Bichette and the Mets already having a shortstop and second baseman, it likely leaves Bellinger as their best option.

Bellinger, 30, has yet to sign since he’s in a standoff with the Yankees about contract length.

He and agent Scott Boras are seeking a seven-year pact, while The Post reported that the Yankees have offered $155 million over five years for a $31 million annual average value (AAV).

The Yankees have added two opt-outs to their offer in an attempt to make it more appealing.

That Bellinger hasn’t signed elsewhere is an indication that no other team has swooped in to top the Yankees’ offer and perhaps the Mets could choose to do so now.

The Mets’ four-year, $220 million offer showed they have plenty more to spend this offseason, although they may view Tucker and Bellinger on different levels.

Bellinger would fit the Mets’ roster well since he can play the outfield and first base, which provides value after Brandon Nimmo and Alonso exited this offseason.

With the Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays all in the market for another bat, the reality is that at least one of those teams will miss out on Bellinger and Bicehtte and be left scrambling.

There are quality hitters available in trades, such as the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, but that would cost prospect capital instead of strict dollars.

Kyle Tucker agreeing to sign with the Dodgers over the Mets and Blue Jays late Thursday night should've surprised no one.

The Mets had an outrageously good offer on the table (four years at $200 million, and later went to four years at $220 million). Meanwhile, reports were that the Blue Jays had extended a long-term offer, and that Toronto was willing to go as high as 10 years.

With that as a backdrop, it made no sense that Tucker was taking so long to reach a decision. And that's why at 4:31 p.m. I typed this guess to my colleagues: "Tucker is going to the Dodgers."

It took a while longer for that to happen, and the numbers were eye-popping: four years for $240 million (an insane $60 million AAV), with a $64 million signing bonus and $30 million deferred.

What happened was not a Steve Cohen failure or a David Stearns failure. And it was not a uniquely Mets thing.

There is next to nothing a team can do when a player seemingly wants a certain team and city. If the Mets went to $61 million annually (which they were right to not do), the Dodgers probably would've gone to $62 million. 

Over the last handful of seasons, we've watched the same song and dance play out with Los Angeles and star players.

Shohei Ohtani wouldn't even seriously consider the East Coast before agreeing to his contract with LA that included $680 million in deferrals. 

We heard how much Yoshinobu Yamamoto loved the Yankees. Didn't matter. He, too, chose the Dodgers, with their more relaxed city and fan base (and incredible climate) coming along with that choice.

The same happened with Roki Sasaki, whose affordability made him a possibility for every team, but who went to the Dodgers anyway.

In a way, lots of these players are acting like Kevin Durant did when he decided to join the juggernaut Warriors. It isn't fun for the other 29 teams. It isn't really competitive. It's certainly not good for the sport. But the Dodgers are playing within the rules. And until those rules change, perhaps as part of a lockout in 2027, they can keep doing this. To that end, would anyone be surprised if they traded for Tarik Skubal next?

As far as where the Mets go from here this offseason?

There seems to be a desire in the wake of Tucker spurning them to relitigate the decisions New York has made regarding the players they have let go this offseason.

In the case of Edwin Diaz, that's fair. It seems apparent that something went haywire at the end of those negotiations, with the Mets losing a player who wanted to be in Queens.

Beyond that, it's pretty clear that the Mets acted with conviction.

Trading Brandon Nimmo in order to get out of the last five years of his deal as he enters his age-33 season was prudent. The same goes for dealing Jeff McNeil, who wouldn't have had a regular role in 2026 had he stayed.

The big one is Pete Alonso, and it can be argued without the benefit of hindsight that perhaps the Mets should've offered him four or five years and asked him to be their DH. But there's no reason to wring your hands over the Mets not making him an offer. If they weren't going to the level it took to keep him, extending an offer for the sake of it would've been pointless.

New York's main additions before Friday were Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco, Luke Weaver, and Marcus Semien. That is not nearly good enough, and there are likely significant moves coming.

As the Mets ponder what those moves should be, it's instructive to look at the upcoming free agent classes after 2026 and 2027, when there will not be a single difference-making hitter available. The biggest ones next offseason could be Jazz Chisholm Jr. and a 37-year-old George Springer. The year after that, the boldest names are likely to be Jeremy Peña and Steven Kwan.

So, what now?

With the Mets in serious need in the starting rotation and outfield, here are two plausible scenarios:

Option A: Trade for Freddy Peralta and sign a bat or two

Peralta is there for the taking, and the Mets have the kind of players who should interest the Brewers.

And if Peralta is open to an extension, as Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported on Thursday, it could make trading for him even more palatable.

Could a deal centered around Brandon Sproat and A.J. Ewing work? Would the Mets be willing to trade Sproat and Jett Williams if they knew they were turning around and locking Peralta up long-term?

If the Mets can't snag Peralta, they could try to engage the Twins on Joe Ryan. Or call the Padres about Nick Pivetta. They could also take a moonshot and attempt to entice the Tigers to trade Skubal, with a contentious arbitration hearing approaching.

As far as the free agent bats, there really aren't many that are enticing.

The Mets could always try to snag Cody Bellinger from the Yankees, but that doesn't feel likely. Beyond that, Bellinger's year-to-year inconsistency and 2025 home/road splits should give any team pause.

Eugenio Suarez could make sense if New York wants to try to add serious power. But he profiles best at DH and strikes out a ton.

One sensible move could be turning to Bo Bichette, who is entering his age-28 season. The Mets could conceivably sign Bichette to play third base, slide Brett Baty to first base, and use Jorge Polanco as their primary DH. (Editor's Note: the Mets signed Bichette to a three-year deal on Friday afternoon)

Option B: Sign Framber Valdez and trade for an outfielder

With 30-year old Ranger Suarez signing a five-year deal, it's possible the 32-year-old Valdez inks a three-or four-year contract at a decently higher AAV than Suarez's $26 million. That would be right in the Mets' wheelhouse, and give them a legit top of the rotation starter.

It's fair to wonder, though, if the Mets will want to add $30 million or so to the payroll in the form of Valdez after agreeing to sign Bichette. There's also the fact that Valdez is attached to a qualifying offer, and signing him after inking Bichette would would almost totally destroy New York's 2026 MLB Draft.

Meanwhile, if the Mets don't use any of their best young players to trade for pitching, they could theoretically use them to acquire an outfielder instead.

Maybe they call the Red Sox about Jarren Duran.

Perhaps they try to pry Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals.

Another option could be snagging Ramon Laureano from the Padres -- and maybe expanding that deal to include a high-leverage reliever like Jeremiah Estrada.

***

Before the Tucker gut punch, this had already been an offseason of seismic change for the Mets and their fans.

It has been unprecedented. It has been uncomfortable. It has been disappointing. But there is still time.

If the Mets have a similar roster 26 days from now when pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie, it will be more than fair to wonder what happened.

But it seems far likelier the conversation will be revolving around how the Mets landed some big swings at the end of the offseason rather than how it all went wrong.

Phils and Realmuto reunite with new three-year deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

J.T. Realmuto is sticking around as the Phils’ backstop.

Philadelphia is re-signing their veteran catcher on a three-year, $45 million contract, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic and Bob Nightengale of USA Today, keeping the leader of their pitching staff in place. The deal includes $5 million worth of incentives per year.

Realmuto, 34, hit .257 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 2025 and again served as the backbone of one of baseball’s most stable rotations.

The numbers tell the story. Over the past three seasons, Phillies starters rank third in MLB in ERA (3.88) and first in wins (181), quality starts (234), fielding-independent pitching (3.78) and chase rate (34.3 O-Swing%).

Realmuto first joined the Phillies in 2019 after the organization acquired him in a trade from Miami, later returning on a five-year, $115.5 million contract — which remains the highest average annual value ($23.1 million) for a catcher ever signed in free agency.

Since signing, he has made two All-Star teams, won a Gold Glove and caught more innings than any other catcher in the Majors. In that span, he’s slashed .262/.327/.437 with a 109 OPS+, and his postseason production has been steady — seven home runs and a .745 OPS over four playoff runs.

Manager Rob Thomson has often pointed to Realmuto’s approach as a separator. “J.T. is the most prepared catcher I’ve ever been around,” Thomson said back in October.

After the Phillies missed out on signing Bo Bichette, it became clear that a reunion was imminent. The club had reportedly extended a three-year deal to the catcher recently.

With Realmuto’s return, the Phillies maintain a core piece of their roster and the familiarity that has played a central role in the club’s rise over the past four seasons.

Bo Bichette agrees to three-year deal with rival Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Bo Bichette is heading to the Mets.

The free-agent infielder has agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with New York, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic, with contract details reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The signing comes days after Bichette met with the Phillies, who had emerged as a serious suitor following the hiring of Don Mattingly, his former bench coach in Toronto.

Philadelphia was viewed as a legitimate contender throughout the process, but ultimately came up short as Bichette opted for a shorter-term deal that offers significant flexibility.

Bichette, 27, is coming off another strong offensive season. In 2025, he hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs, finishing second in the majors with 44 doubles. He has led the American League in hits twice and has remained one of the more consistent right-handed bats in the game since debuting in 2019.

A left knee injury sidelined Bichette for the final 20 games of the regular season, but he returned in the World Series and showed no lingering effects, hitting .348 with a home run and six RBIs.

Defensive questions and positional fit complicated Bichette’s market at times, but his bat remained the primary draw.

John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia confirmed that the club had offered more years and guaranteed money. Bob Nightengale of USA Today later reported that the Phillies offered Bichette a seven-year, $200 million deal. It’s known that the Phillies’ ownership does not offer opt-outs in their contract negotiations.

He becomes a major addition for the Mets — and a notable miss for a Phillies club that continues to search for right-handed offense heading into this upcoming season.

Only a couple of hours after Steve Cohen tweeted that he was looking for signs of smoke, a Vatican-style reference to the Mets waiting for an answer from Kyle Tucker, the Los Angeles Dodgers stunned him and the entire baseball world by signing the slugger to a deal worth $60 million a year on Thursday night.

So it’s almost too easy yet…the question begs to be asked: does Cohen want this smoke? 

Or will he, like most other MLB teams now, hold his cards close to the vest and wait for the inevitable lockout and war over a salary cap that is coming after the 2026 season?

In short, the Mets probably thought they were raising the bar into rarefied air by offering Tucker, a very good hitter but hardly a superstar, $220 million over four years. And in some ways, they were. Only for the Dodgers to swat them aside almost dismissively.

Suffice to say, Cohen did no further tweeting on Thursday night.

And I’m not blaming him or the Mets for drawing a line at $55 million a year (their final offer) for Tucker, as absurd as that sounds. 

Yet, getting outbid must still be embarrassing in a way to Cohen. He’s a man who’s accustomed to getting what he wants, after all, even if it means spending obscene amounts of money for art pieces to add to his renowned collection.

As the richest billionaire owner in baseball, Cohen was supposed to be the death of baseball, remember?

Yes, the irony here is that this is what most other owners in the sport feared when Cohen said at his very first press conference as owner of the Mets that he wanted to model his organization after the Dodgers, that he might use his billions to create a new Evil Empire in Queens.

Remember, at the time, the Dodgers were indeed a model organization that consistently drafted and developed home-grown talent in a way that allowed them to challenge for a championship every year without blowing the roof off the payroll.

Now it’s different, of course. Helped in large part by the Shohei Ohtani connection that has attracted other Japanese stars and his willingness to defer hundreds of millions of dollars on his $700-million contract, the Dodgers are now outspending the rest of baseball in a manner that may have made even the famously impulsive George Steinbrenner look like a piker were he still alive today.

Evil Empire? More like King Kong at this point.

Still, Cohen has the money if he wants to compete with the big, bad Dodgers. And none of this is to excuse the Mets for what has been an underwhelming offseason.

As it is, it’s hard to tell if their sudden all-out pursuit of Tucker was part of their plan all along or more of a realization they desperately needed a big-splash move as Mets fans showed their displeasure with their wallets.

Did they suddenly decide they better find someone to hit behind Juan Soto so he wouldn’t walk 150 times next season?

Wouldn’t it just have been easier to give Pete Alonso the $150 million over five years? He had made it clear he was willing to ease into the DH role, so I’ll never understand why the Mets drew such a hard line there.

They were willing to go three years but not five? It just never made sense, considering their need for a right-handed power hitter. And whatever their intentions at that time were regarding Tucker, they left themselves vulnerable one way or another.

And now, even if they change course and throw crazy money at Cody Bellinger, well, sure, he’d make them better in a lot of ways, but he wouldn’t fill the huge hole in the lineup behind Soto.

So it’s hard to see how they’re going to have anything resembling a championship-caliber offense, whether they go after Bellinger or not.

And if they were truly going all-in on run prevention, the David Stearns buzzword from the moment the 2025 season ended, why haven’t they made the expected moves to upgrade their pitching?

Dominant starting pitching and a lockdown bullpen would always offer hope of beating anyone, even the Dodgers, in a short series in October, yet the Mets haven’t gone that route either.

All along, I’ve said it wasn’t fair to judge Stearns until the offseason was over. And who knows, maybe now he’ll go out and trade for Freddy Peralta and sign Framber Valdez, and suddenly the Mets will have a starting rotation that can indeed beat anybody, especially if Nolan McLean blossoms into the ace everyone is now expecting.

But lest we forget, Edwin Diaz is now a Dodger, too. And while I’m laying some of that on Diaz for seemingly wanting to take the easy route to winning a championship ring, the Mets put themselves in a position to let it happen by not locking up their closer before LA ever got involved.

In truth, the most logical move at this point for Cohen might just be to hold onto his chips, save his money for Tarik Skubal next winter, or whenever the sport is open for business again, while seeing what McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, Carson Benge, Jett Williams and other top prospects look like by mid-summer as the trading deadline approaches.

I’m not saying the Dodgers are unbeatable. The Blue Jays were one hanging slider away from beating them in the World Series.

But it’s hard to see how the Mets, without dramatic pitching upgrades at the very minimum, can realistically compete with LA for a championship in 2026.

And right now that’s on Stearns. You can blame the Dodgers all you want for blowing up the sport and setting up a salary cap fight not only between owners and players, but owners and owners as well.

Yet the Mets shouldn’t be sitting here in mid-January trying to figure out how to save their offseason. If Stearns’ plan was to let the market come to him in search of the best value, which seems to be his M.O., well, it sure looks to be backfiring to the point where desperation is now part of the equation.

Desperation and the LA Dodgers, that is.

The Mets and Yankees are still looking for rotation upgrades and both have recently checked in on a potential trade for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

The NY Post's Jon Heyman reported Thursday that the New York teams inquired about Peralta, as there's a growing belief Milwaukee will trade him. 

Peralta is owed $8 million in 2026, the final year of his contract. 

Heyman reports that Peralta recently approached the Brewers about an extension, but that Milwaukee prefers to avoid huge deals for pitchers.

Other teams reportedly linked to Peralta include the Giants, Braves and Dodgers, who just signed Kyle Tucker to a monstrous deal. 

There's no surprise that the Mets are in the market for starting pitching and have been linked to free agents like Framber Valdez, who is still available, and Ranger Suarez, who recently signed with the Red Sox. However, it seems a trade is just as likely for the Mets with their dearth of major league-ready young starters like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat. 

As for the Yankees, the Bombers recently acquired Marlins southpaw Ryan Weathers to give them more depth as they await the returns of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt. 

The Yankees may not have the caliber of prospect the Mets have, but they do have more seasoned young arms like Luis Gil and Will Warren to offer.

For the second time in as many months, the Dodgers swooped in to secure a major free-agent signing.

After weighing multiple offers this week, outfielder Kyle Tucker reportedly agreed to a four-year, $240-million contract with the Dodgers on Thursday.

Tucker, who reportedly had been offered $50-million per year by the New York Mets and received overtures from the Toronto Blue Jays, is a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger whose left-handed bat will fit into the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup.

Read more:One last roundup for Clayton Kershaw: He'll pitch in World Baseball Classic

The signing addresses an area where the Dodgers were in need of an upgrade, after the outfield corps posted minus-1.6 wins above replacement in 2025.

But the question heading into the offseason was how the Dodgers would go about improving their outfield. Although they had plenty of financial flexibility at the start of the offseason, with more than $60 million in salary from last season coming off the books, the front office also touted potential internal options. Some of those included Alex Call, Hyeseong Kim and Ryan Ward, who was named the Pacific Coast League’s MVP in 2025 and was added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster this offseason.

The team used that flexibility to make a splash last month when they signed reliever Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69-million deal, emerging as a surprise winner after Díaz appeared on track to sign elsewhere.

They seemingly followed a similar pattern with Tucker, who spent last year with the Chicago Cubs after he was traded by the Houston Astros following the 2024 season. When reports emerged about the Mets offering a short-term deal worth $50 million per year, the Dodgers appeared to be out of the running.

Read more:Why $100 million in endorsements says Shohei Ohtani is the global face of sport

But instead they landed another marquee free-agent signing in Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday. They are banking on the productivity he's shown when healthy — he's a career .273 hitter with an .865 OPS — but he's dealt with injuries the last two seasons. With the Cubs in 2025, Tucker hit .280 with 17 home runs before the all-star break, but a fractured right hand and a left calf strain slowed him down as he finished with 22 home runs. He served as the Cubs' designated hitter during their postseason run, which ended in a five-game loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in the division series.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets have swung and missed on star free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is signing with the Dodgers.

With Tucker now in tow, Los Angeles will likely have four MVP candidates hitting consecutively in their lineup -- Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. 

In addition to the Mets and Dodgers, the Blue Jays had been heavily connected to Tucker.

According to multiple reports, Tucker accepted the Dodgers' four-year, $240 million offer. Tucker also has an opt-out after the second year. His $60 million AAV is the second-highest in baseball history, only behind Ohtani's $70 million -- $68 million is deferred.

The Mets had reportedly extended a four-year offer to Tucker worth roughly $50 million annually. 

Tucker, who turns 29 years old later this week, was the biggest name available in this year’s free agent class.

While Tucker always made sense as a free agent target for the Mets, he became an even better fit once president of baseball operations David Stearnstraded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, creating a vacancy in left field. 

Now that the Mets have missed out, it's not clear where they turn. 

They have been linked to free agent Cody Bellinger, but he has reportedly been deep in negotiations with the Yankees. The Yanks have offered Bellinger five years, while Bellinger's camp has been holding out for seven.

It's conceivable that after failing to land Tucker, the Mets direct their assets to the starting pitching market.

In free agency, Framber Valdez -- who has been connected to the Mets and Orioles -- is still available. 

As far as a trade for pitching, one available starter who could make plenty of sense for New York is Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta. 

Dodgers sign top free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to 4-year, $240 million deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The wait ended the way so many modern baseball stories seem to in Los Angeles.

Kyle Tucker, the crown jewel of the 2026 MLB free agency class, is officially a Los Angeles Dodger.

Late Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a deal with the four-time MLB All-Star and 2022 World Series Champion, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract that includes an opt-out after the second season. The pact carries one of the highest average annual values in baseball history and once again underscores the Dodgers’ willingness to operate at the very top of the sport’s financial ecosystem.

For months, Tucker’s free agency felt like a slow-burning standoff. Executives around the league believed his market would soar past $400 million on a long-term deal, especially given his age, durability, elite defense, and left-handed power bat. Tucker, coming off a season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the Houston Astros last offseason, was widely viewed as the rare free agent who checks every box: postseason pedigree, consistent production, and star presence without volatility.

But the market never quite erupted.

Instead, it pivoted.

As winter dragged on, the industry began buzzing about a different approach—shorter deals, massive annual value, and the chance for Tucker to re-enter free agency while still firmly in his prime. That’s where the Dodgers and New York Mets entered the picture in earnest. The Mets reportedly offered four years and $200 million, a strong bid that reflected their continued pursuit of top-tier talent. The Toronto Blue Jays, fresh off a 2025 World Series runner-up finish, went longest with their offer, hoping stability and years would sway the slugger north of the border.

In the end, Los Angeles wouldn’t be outdone.

The Dodgers pushed their offer to a level no one else could touch, combining financial dominance with flexibility.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is fully guaranteed. Includes opt-outs after years two and three. Comes with a $64 million dollar signing bonus, includes $30 million in deferred money, and is a record by AAV by over $6 million (previous record, Juan Soto by the New York Mets last season).

Tucker batted .266 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 136 games with the Cubs last season. He was voted to his fourth All-Star Game in July. 

Tucker is expected to start in right field for the Dodgers, moving Teoscar Hernandez to left field, where he played predominantly during the 2024 World Series season. The Dodgers needed another outfielder after left fielder Michael Conforto didn’t quite pan out as the team had thought in 2025.

Tucker slides into an already formidable Dodgers lineup as a middle-of-the-order force, capable of changing games with one swing while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield. His postseason résumé only strengthens a team that measures success in October, not summer standings.

For the Dodgers, this signing isn’t just about winning the offseason. It’s about control—of the market, of the narrative, and of the championship window. While other teams blinked or hedged, Los Angeles leaned in.

Kyle Tucker bet on himself.

The Dodgers bet on now.

And once again, the rest of baseball is left reacting to a move that reshapes the balance of power—one expensive, deliberate swing at a time.

Dodgers sign top free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to 4-year, $240 million deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The wait ended the way so many modern baseball stories seem to in Los Angeles.

Kyle Tucker, the crown jewel of the 2026 MLB free agency class, is officially a Los Angeles Dodger.

Late Thursday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a deal with the four-time MLB All-Star and 2022 World Series Champion, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract that includes an opt-out after the second season. The pact carries one of the highest average annual values in baseball history and once again underscores the Dodgers’ willingness to operate at the very top of the sport’s financial ecosystem.

For months, Tucker’s free agency felt like a slow-burning standoff. Executives around the league believed his market would soar past $400 million on a long-term deal, especially given his age, durability, elite defense, and left-handed power bat. Tucker, coming off a season with the Chicago Cubs after being traded from the Houston Astros last offseason, was widely viewed as the rare free agent who checks every box: postseason pedigree, consistent production, and star presence without volatility.

But the market never quite erupted.

Instead, it pivoted.

As winter dragged on, the industry began buzzing about a different approach—shorter deals, massive annual value, and the chance for Tucker to re-enter free agency while still firmly in his prime. That’s where the Dodgers and New York Mets entered the picture in earnest. The Mets reportedly offered four years and $200 million, a strong bid that reflected their continued pursuit of top-tier talent. The Toronto Blue Jays, fresh off a 2025 World Series runner-up finish, went longest with their offer, hoping stability and years would sway the slugger north of the border.

In the end, Los Angeles wouldn’t be outdone.

The Dodgers pushed their offer to a level no one else could touch, combining financial dominance with flexibility.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is fully guaranteed. Includes opt-outs after years two and three. Comes with a $64 million dollar signing bonus, includes $30 million in deferred money, and is a record by AAV by over $6 million (previous record, Juan Soto by the New York Mets last season).

Tucker batted .266 with 22 home runs, 73 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 136 games with the Cubs last season. He was voted to his fourth All-Star Game in July. 

Tucker is expected to start in right field for the Dodgers, moving Teoscar Hernandez to left field, where he played predominantly during the 2024 World Series season. The Dodgers needed another outfielder after left fielder Michael Conforto didn’t quite pan out as the team had thought in 2025.

Tucker slides into an already formidable Dodgers lineup as a middle-of-the-order force, capable of changing games with one swing while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense in the outfield. His postseason résumé only strengthens a team that measures success in October, not summer standings.

For the Dodgers, this signing isn’t just about winning the offseason. It’s about control—of the market, of the narrative, and of the championship window. While other teams blinked or hedged, Los Angeles leaned in.

Kyle Tucker bet on himself.

The Dodgers bet on now.

And once again, the rest of baseball is left reacting to a move that reshapes the balance of power—one expensive, deliberate swing at a time.