Category: Baseball

The Mets have acquired right-handed pitchers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Brewers in exchange for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, per Jeff Passan and Jon Heyman.

The 29-year-0ld Peralta has a career 3.59 ERA in the 931.0 innings he’s thrown in the big leagues, all of which have been with the Brewers. He’s been particularly durable over the past three seasons, as he’s thrown 165.2, 173.2, and 176.2 innings in those years, respectively. And thanks to his excellent 2.70 ERA in 2025, he had a cumulative 3.40 ERA over those past three seasons. He’s signed through the end of the 2026 season, after which he’s set to be a free agent—barring any potential extension with the Mets.

Myers is a 27-year-old who started Game 3 against the the Mets in the Wild Card round of the 2024 playoffs. After pitching almost exclusively as a starter in his rookie season with the Brewers in 2024, he made the vast majority of his appearances last year out of the bullpen. In total, he has a 3.15 ERA in 188.2 innings in the big leagues.

Williams was a consensus top-100 prospect in baseball in each of the past three seasons, and he’s coming off a 2025 season that saw him hit .261/.363/.465 with 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 43 attempts in his time with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.

And Sproat was a consensus top-100 prospect ahead of the 2025 season, too, as he was coming off an excellent 2024 season. After struggling in the first half in Syracuse last year, he turned things around and finished his minor league season with a 4.24 ERA. And he made four starts for the Mets as they searched for answers in their rotation late in the season, putting up a 4.79 ERA in 20.2 innings with the team.

The New York Mets, just hours after introducing Bo Bichette in a press conference Wednesday afternoon in New York, pounced again and traded for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

The Brewers, who let teams know all winter that Peralta was available, but only at a steep price, finally got a team to meet their demand when the Mets sent prized pitching prospect Brandon Sproat and infield prospect Jett Williams to Milwaukee. The Mets also receive pitcher Tobias Myers.

Peralta, who’s eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, is coming off a career year in which he went an NL-leading 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA, helping lead the Brewers to an MLB-best 97 victories. Peralta, who finished fifth in the Cy Young balloting, also is one of the best bargains in baseball, earning just $8 million.

Just like that, in a winter in which they were chastised and ridiculed by their fan base for letting favorites Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz leave in free agency, while trading away outfielder Brandon Nimmo, the Mets have rebounded with a flourish.

The Mets, who were left at the alter five days ago when outfielder Kyle Tucker rejected their four-year, $120 million offer and joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, have since signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract, traded for Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert, and now landed Peralta and Myers.

And just like that, the Chicago Cubs’ winter got a whole lot better, too, knowing that the Brewers’ ace is out of the NL Central.

The Mets have landed a long-coveted ace. 

Only hours after president of baseball operations David Stearns reaffirmed to reporters his desire to address the team’s starting rotation, the Mets acquired All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta on Wednesday from the Brewers for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, the club announced.

As part of the deal the Mets also received right-hander Tobias Myers. 

Peralta, who is entering his walk year, pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts for the Brewers last season, when he finished fifth in the National League Cy Young Award voting after his second career All-Star appearance. 

The 29-year-old Peralta, who arrived to the Brewers in a trade with the Mariners during Stearns’ tenure heading the Brewers front office, gives the Mets the true ace they have lacked since trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer during the 2023 season. 

Over the past two seasons, the Mets had hoped Kodai Senga would develop into an ace, but the right-hander was sidetracked by injuries (and ineffectiveness last year that led to him finishing the season at Triple-A Syracuse) leading Stearns to say earlier in the offseason that Senga couldn’t be counted on as a top-of-the-rotation force. 

Myers, a swingman, appeared in 22 games last season (six as a starter) and pitched to a 3.55 ERA. 

Peralta’s key metrics include a hard-hit ball rate of only 34.5 percent, which ranked in MLB’s 90th percentile. Peralta’s strikeout rate of 28.2 percent (despite a fastball that rates only slightly above average) ranked in MLB’s 84th percentile. 

Williams was the Mets’ No. 3 prospect and a possibility for the major league roster at some point this season. Drafted as an infielder, he had shifted into a hybrid role, playing center field in the minors. 

Sproat began last season as the organization’s top pitching prospect, but was supplanted by Nolan McLean as the year progressed. Even so, Sproat debuted for the Mets last September and pitched to a 4.79 ERA in four starts. 

It leaves the Mets with rotation pieces heading to spring training that will include Peralta, McLean, Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and David Peterson.

Others in the mix include Christian Scott and Jonah Tong. Scott missed last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and the rookie Tong debuted for the club last September. 

The Peralta splash occurred only hours after the Mets introduced Bo Bichette at Citi Field. The Mets signed Bichette last week to a three-year contract worth $126 million (that includes two opt-outs) after missing on Kyle Tucker, the top free agent on the market.

Tucker received a four-year deal worth $240 million from the Dodgers, prompting the Mets to pivot to Bichette, who will shift from shortstop to third base. 

Tuesday night the Mets addressed center field by acquiring Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox for Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley.

Robert is deemed a Gold Glove potential center fielder with a high ceiling offensively who has underwhelmed the past two seasons in large part because of injuries. 

Stearns’ overhaul of the roster began in November, when he traded Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien. At the Winter Meetings, the team lost stars Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso to free agency (to the Dodgers and Orioles) and shortly afterward traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for a minor league pitcher. 

In between, the team signed Devin Williams (who will assume the closer’s role) and Luke Weaver for the bullpen. The Mets also signed Jorge Polanco to play first base — a position at which he’s appeared only once in the major leagues — with the idea his powerful switch-hitting bat will help compensate for Alonso’s loss.

The Mets have found their ace, and their president of baseball operations found one in his old stomping grounds.

New York has acquired All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Brewers in exchange for a prospect package that will include Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

The Mets have also received RHP Tobias Myers in the deal. 

Peralta, who turns 30 next summer, is coming off the best season of his career. The veteran right-hander was stellar for the Brewers, posting a personal-best 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts across 176.2 innings (33 starts). He also allowed just 124 hits, holding opponents to a .193 average.

The growth potential for Peralta is, without question, enormous. His advanced metrics were elite in 2025, as he ranked well above average in strikeout percentage, whiff percentage, hard-hit percentage, and extension. The results earned him a top-five finish in NL Cy Young voting.

As if his makeup wasn't enough of a selling point, Peralta's services in 2026 won't even break the bank. He's actually one of the best bargains in baseball, slated to earn only $8 million on a club option before reaching free agency next offseason.

The Mets didn't pursue Peralta on a whim. They knew exactly who they were getting -- after all, David Stearns was in the Brewers' front office when they gave the two-time All-Star a five-year contract extension back in 2020.

With a terrific fastball-changeup-curveball mix that induces plenty of whiffs, Peralta has the arsenal to remain one of the league's most reliable pitchers for quite some time. Over the last five seasons (139 starts), he owns a 3.30 ERA with 895 strikeouts -- a laudable rate of 10.9 per nine.

Myers, who will turn 28 in August, has some major league experience as a starter and reliever. In 2024, he posted a 3.00 ERA and a 1.174 WHIP in 27 games (25 starts). 

This past season, Myers made 22 appearances (six starts) and posted a 3.55 ERA while striking out 38 batters across 50.2 innings.

To make room on the 40 Man Roster, RHP Cooper Criswell has been designated for assignment. 

According to both Jon Heyman and Pat Ragazzo, the Mets are in talks to acquire 29-year-old right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Brewers. Ragazzo specifies that Mets prospect Jett Williams would be part of the return going to Milwaukee in a potential deal.

Peralta has spent the entirety of his major league career in Milwaukee, and he’s entering the final season of a seven-year $30 million contract that he signed with Milwaukee ahead of the 2020 season. He’s thrown 165 innings or more in each of the past three seasons, and he was particularly great in 2025. He finished that season with a 2.70 ERA and a 3.64 FIP in 176.2 innings over the course of 33 starts.

Williams has been a consensus top-100 prospect ahead of each of the last three seasons, and the 22-year-old has played shortstop, second base, and center field thus far in his minor league career. He split his 2025 season between Double-A Binghamton, where he spent the majority of the year, and Triple-A Syracuse, and he hit .261/.363/.465 with 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 43 attempts.

Joel Sherman adds that the Brewers have asked about Mets pitching prospect Brandon Sproat and that 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers would be coming to the Mets in the potential trade.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was detained at the Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday night due to a paperwork issue, agent Scott Boras told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Boras told the paper Lee's detainment was "not anything political or anything like that" and Lee was released later Wednesday evening, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reported.

“We are working politically and with immigration and the Giants to get verifications,” Boras had told the Chronicle. “I’m not sure what was lacking but it was something with the proper paperwork. I think he just forgot one of the documents.”

The Giants told the Chronicle they were working to resolve the issue, as was California Rep. Nancy Pelosi's office.

Lee was arriving back in California from South Korea ahead of a Giants fan event set to be held on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giants' Jung Hoo Lee detained at LAX: What we know

The Dodgers finalized their deal with Kyle Tucker on Wednesday, signing the outfielder to a four-year contract worth $240 million.

Tucker gets a $64 million signing bonus as part of the contract, $54 million of which will be paid this February 15 and the other $10 million on February 1, 2027, per Beth Harris and Ronald Blum of Associated Press, with the following annual salaries.

2026: $1 million
2027: $55 million
2028: $60 million player option
2029: $60 million player option

A total of $30 million of the salaries are deferred — $10 million each year from 2027-29 — which is not uncommon among Dodgers contracts of late. Each year’s $10 million deferred salary will be paid out at $1 million per year every December 1 from 2036-45, again per AP.

Tucker is one of 10 Dodgers with deferred money in their contract, with a total of $1.0945 billion scheduled to be paid out between 2028-47. Shohei Ohtani’s $680 million deferred — 97 percent of his 10-year contract — is the outlier, with deferred money in the other nine contracts ranging between 12.5 percent (Tucker) and 36.3 percent (Blake Snell) of the total contract guarantee.

The deferrals in Tucker’s contract reduce the average annual value from $60 million to $57,195,945 per year.

Tucker has two opportunities to opt out of the contract — after either the 2027 or 2028 seasons. The Dodgers typically don’t include opt-outs, but given that Tucker was also being heavily pursued by the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, including the ability for Tucker to leave potentially after two seasons was a way for the Dodgers to sweeten the deal.

“In two years, we’ll know a lot more about a lot of things than we do know, and just because he opts out doesn’t mean that we won’t be there to try to sign up,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “In any deal you’d prefer to to have an opt-out. Generally speaking, I think they’re very poorly priced in the market, which is why we have avoided them by and large. In this case, it just made sense for a confluence of reasons.”

Because Tucker declined a qualifying offer from the Chicago Cubs in November, the Dodgers will forfeit a pair of picks in the 2026 MLB Draft. Having already ceded their second and fifth-round selections for signing fellow qualifying-offer free agent Edwin Díaz in December, the Dodgers for signing Tucker will forfeit their third and sixth-round picks this July. That will likely leave the Dodgers with a draft pool of something like $4 million or just under, which would be their lowest in the 15 years of the draft slotting system.

“The depth of our system put us in a position where, while the cost is still meaningful, it wasn’t as significant. We have a very strong system up top,” Friedman said. “But even more than that, I think the depth of our system allows us this one year to have our food budget for the draft meetings exceed our signing bonuses. It’s not great by any means, but just trying to balance that with doing everything we could to put ourselves in the best position to win a championship in 2026.”

San Francisco Giants star Jung Hoo Lee was detained by US Customs and Border Protection at LAX on Wednesday over a “paperwork issue,” his team confirmed Wednesday night.

“Earlier today,” the Giants said in a statement to the Associated Press, “Jung Hoo Lee experienced a brief travel issue at LAX due to a paperwork issue.

“The matter was quickly clarified with the appropriate authorities, and he has since been cleared to continue his travel. We appreciate the professionalism of all parties involved.”

Lee was stopped by the feds after flying into the Los Angeles airport from South Korea, the San Francisco Standard reported.

The 27-year-old outfielder was traveling ahead of a scheduled appearance at a Giants FanFest event on Saturday, according to the report.

Lee’s agent, Scott Boras, told The Post on Wednesday night everything “is now resolved” and the baseball player continued on to Arizona following the delay.

San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office had reportedly been working with federal officials to secure his release prior to the matter getting sorted out.

Spring Training for the Giants begins in Scottsdale in three weeks.

Lee signed a six-year deal with the Giants in December 2023 worth $113 million.

In his first season in San Francisco, Lee — who previously starred in the KBO before joining the MLB — was limited to just 37 games due to injury.

This past season, he was able to play in 150, and he recorded a .266 batting average with eight home runs, 55 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Bo Bichette reached the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series last season with the Blue Jays, but fell short of a championship ring.

The sting is still real.

“This is probably helping,” Bichette said Wednesday at Citi Field, where he was introduced as the new Mets third baseman. “To be that close, you never know when you’re going to get that opportunity. But I think this team has an opportunity to let me get there.”

Bichette, 27, arrived on a three-year deal worth $126 million that includes opt-outs after the first two seasons.

He brings an authoritative right-handed bat to a lineup that subtracted Pete Alonso, who accepted a $155 million offer over five years from the Orioles.

Last year, Bichette posted a .311/.357/.483 slash line with 18 homers and 94 RBIs in 139 games before missing the final three weeks of the regular season (he returned for the World Series) with a left knee sprain.

The question isn’t so much what Bichette will bring offensively — he’s posted an OPS of at least .800 in six of his seven major league seasons — but whether he can adapt to his new position, third base.

Accompanied by his family, which included his father Dante — a former outfielder with the Brewers, Angels and Rockies, Reds and Red Sox — Bichette said he expects to succeed in the transition from shortstop (he also played second base in the World Series).

“It’s going to take work to be good at something and I’m willing to put in that work and we’ll get after it,” Bichette said. “I’m already getting after it. But we’ll get after it more when I get down to Port St. Lucie.”

The revamped Mets infield also includes Marcus Semien at second base with Jorge Polanco at first base. Both are also former shortstops.

“I think there’s probably going to be a lot of days this season where we are playing four shortstops on the infield, and that’s a pretty distinct advantage,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “I definitely think there’s going to be a learning curve. I’m not trying to dismiss that at all.

“We’re probably going to make a mistake or two, but we’re also going to have an elite range around the infield and that’s pretty exciting.”

Bichette was close to accepting an offer from the Phillies — the team’s president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski called it a “gut punch” to lose him. But Stearns downplayed the angle of the Mets stealing a player from a top division rival.

“I understand that fans find that satisfying,” Stearns said. “I think we need to make sure we are acquiring players, and especially at acquisitions of this magnitude, that we are acquiring players that fit what we want to do, not remove them from another team.”

The Mets filled another hole this week by acquiring center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the White Sox for Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley. Stearns struck again Wednesday night, landing ace Freddy Peralta in a trade with the Brewers.

Stearns was asked if he could envision adding another piece to the lineup.

“I would say I feel good about where our position grouping is,” Stearns said. “But at this point in the offseason you can never predict what is going to happen. Different things emerge. We’re not going to close the door on anything.”

Bichette indicated he’s communicated multiple times in recent days with Semien, his former teammate with the Blue Jays. The 35-year-old Semien arrived in a November trade with Texas for Brandon Nimmo.

“[Semien] is a good one, he showed me the ropes, he’s a hard worker, he’s all business,” Bichette said. “He’s a competitor. He was a great mentor for me and I’m sure that in some ways I will still look up to him.”

Semien hasn’t visited Citi Field since his trade to the Mets and had a question for Bichette.

“He asked me what the clubhouse looks like and I had good reviews,” Bichette said.

The Mets and White Sox were in contact for a long time. 

New York showed interest in dynamic center fielder Luis Robert Jr. ahead of last year’s deadline, but Chicago ultimately decided to hold onto him and exercise his club option. 

Talks reignited this winter with the Mets still in search of outfield help, and the two sides were finally able to come to terms on an agreement on Tuesday night. 

In exchange, New York sent Luisangel Acuña and RHP Truman Pauley to Chicago.

While there are some red flags in his profile, the 28-year-old Robert brings an intriguing change of scenery candidate into the everyday centerfield role in Flushing.

For the White Sox, the deal not only opens up some financial flexibility, but it also adds another intriguing young piece in Acuña to their up-and-coming roster. 

The 23-year-old is someone GM Chris Getz says they’ve been tracking for a long time.  

“It really is about being able to bring in Acuña,” Getz told reporters Wednesday. “We’re talking about a player that comes with five-plus years of control. One of the younger, more exciting players in our game who hasn’t really gotten a runway at the major league level. 

“I know over in New York, they did not want to get rid of him, that’s because of how valuable he can be with a team. Now, he was on a roster that didn't really allow him to show what he could do on a regular basis, and we're going to be able to provide that."

Acuña showed flashes of that upside the White Sox value, but he was ultimately never able to carve out a consistent everyday role with the crowded infield in the Big Apple. 

He has just 13 XBH’s and a .640 OPS over his first 214 big-league at-bats.

The youngster wasn’t going to receive that opportunity again with the Mets adding Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette this winter, but now he’ll get his shot in Chicago.  

From wedding day to signing day. 

Bo Bichette was joined by his new bride, Alexis, at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon as he was introduced as the newest member of the Mets organization after he signed a three-year, $126 million deal.

The newly dubbed Mrs. Bichette donned a blue and orange New York or Nowhere hat, adding more Mets colors with her top. 

Alexis and Bo posed together on the steps of the home team’s first base dugout with a snow-covered field in the background at the Queens baseball park. 

The day at Citi Field came just weeks after the couple wed in a ceremony that had a number of his former Blue Jays teammates in attendance. 

The nuptials took place the first weekend of January and appeared to be held at The Urban Stillhouse by Horse Soldier in St. Petersburg, Fla., according to images posted on social media. 

Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement was among those invited and spoke about it before the big day. 

Congratulations to Bo and Alexis Bichette! #Wedding#BlueJays#BoBichettepic.twitter.com/WL0Hcqgd7t

— Blue Jays Central (@BlueJayCentral) January 6, 2026

“Somehow, I was lucky enough to get the invite. I’m honoured, truly, because him and his lady are just the best,” Clement said on the “Off the Roster” podcast, per the Toronto Star. 

Bichette, who is expected to shift to third third base in New York, donned the Mets jersey and cap for the first time on Wednesday during a press conference at Citi Field. 

He spoke glowingly of what the Mets are putting together in Queens and his belief in the ballclub. 

“With a lot of prayer and conversations with my family and my agents and even some friends, came to the conclusion that it was very obvious that I wanted to be a Met,” he said. “Mr. Cohen and David [Stearns] have put together an organization is looking to win every single year.

“Has an opportunity to win a World Series every single year and a roster that backs that up. It’s very exciting to be a part of this city.”

The Dodgers did not go into this offseason anticipating they’d ultimately sign Kyle Tucker. 

Even up until a couple weeks ago, their chances of nabbing the four-time All-Star –– given their preference for a shorter-term deal –– seemed more wishful than expectant.

Yet, here Tucker was on Wednesday afternoon: Shaking hands with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and general manager Brandon Gomes. Slipping into a white No. 23 Dodgers jersey and a blue LA cap. Being formally introduced at a Chavez Ravine press conference, shortly after his blockbuster four-year, $240 million contract with the club was finalized and announced.

“When we started the offseason and [were] talking about various fits on the trade market, free agent market, there was really nobody that moved our World Series odds for 2026 more than Kyle Tucker,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. 

And in the end, despite the early uncertainty, the Dodgers once again prevailed in a high-priced sweepstakes.

To the two-time World Series victors, go the spoils of another superstar acquisition.

“It’s a first-class experience,” Tucker said of joining the Dodgers. “Playing here is exciting.”

As Tucker officially joins the Dodgers, here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s press conference about how the signing came to be, and how the outfield slugger will aid their bid for a World Series three-peat.

A late, but fitting, match

At the start of the offseason, the Dodgers’ plan for pursuing Tucker was simple.

They would reach out with interest, as they do with almost all top free-agent players. They would let it be known up front they were looking for a shorter-term pact (initially, their preference was for up to three years, per sources, given their pre-existing long-term commitments and the looming uncertainty of next winter’s CBA negotiations). Then, they would see how Tucker’s market developed, and whether or not he received the 10-plus year, $400-plus million type offers he was widely projected to field.

“At the beginning of the offseason, you don’t know what the likelihood of that is,” Friedman said. “All you can do is kind of state your strong interest and sell as much as you can.”

Other clubs made their own enticing pitch to the two-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove-winning right fielder.

In December, Tucker had an in-person meeting with his perceived top suitor, the Toronto Blue Jays –– who gave him a tour of their spring training facilities (conveniently located near his offseason home in Tampa) and would eventually pony up the longer-term offer he was believed to be seeking (albeit, at 10 years and only $350 million, per The Post’s Jon Heyman).

By early January, the New York Mets had entered the picture, too, pursuing Tucker with a shorter-term proposal sweetened by an eye-popping $50-plus million in annual salary (their final offer was four years and $220 million).

The Dodgers, however, stayed in contact with Tucker’s camp throughout. Early last week, they held a video call with the 29-year-old in which he expressed an encouraging “level of engagement,” Friedman said. Suddenly, hopes were raised that the sides could find a pathway to a deal.

“When we’ve seen these kinds of shorter-term, higher-AAV deals, I don’t think they’ve ever come when [the player] also had a really long, significant deal [they were considering] as well,” Friedman said. “He had that opportunity. And so for us, it was about selling the opportunity to play with these guys, to play in front of these fans, to play in this city, to connect with this community.”

And, of course, to make a lot of money while doing it.

An ‘easier’ decision in the end

While Friedman acknowledged negotiations with Tucker’s camp “started lower” than the eventual $240 million agreement the sides would eventually strike, the Dodgers ramped up their efforts in the closing days of Tucker’s free agency –– buoyed by the financial windfalls that have come with their back-to-back titles and Ohtani-driven revenue boosts.  

Their final bid included $60 million in annual salary (the second-highest in the sport, behind only Shohei Ohtani), a $64 million signing bonus (which will help offset the $30 million in payments that Tucker agreed to defer) and opt-outs after both the second and third seasons of the deal (which will allow Tucker to test the market again in a couple years).

Based on net-present value, which accounts for deferrals, Tucker’s $57 million AAV is a new MLB record.

“Really, it’s as simple as, we’re in a really strong position organizationally, financially, and we feel an immense pressure to pour back into our fans,” Friedman said.

Added Gomes: “When we had the opportunity to do it –– and this was a real chance to fill a hole that would really impact our team –– we did it. So it was one of those things where we were waiting around and being in contact, and then things developed pretty quickly over 5-7 days.”

Still, Tucker cited the Dodgers’ organizational success and talent-laiden roster as a primary appeal to him, as well.

“The team these guys put together and assembled, to give a great product for the fanbase and the city, to go out there and compete for a championship, kind of speaks for itself,” Tucker said. “Taking all of that into account, wanting to be a part of it, I think it’s very special.”

Thus, Tucker came to his final decision last Thursday night, describing his decision to pick the Dodgers as “a little bit easier” in the end.

“That was ultimately what we wanted to do,” he said, “is come here, and be a part of that, and try to win another World Series.”

The new right fielder

The reason the Dodgers were willing to splurge on Tucker (whose signing pushes their luxury tax payroll back above $400 million for a second-straight season, a threshold no other MLB team has ever crossed) is because he instantly addresses their only remaining area of need for 2026.

Before, the Dodgers had a corner outfield opening, with a potential Alex Call/Ryan Ward platoon representing their best in-house option. Now, Tucker will be the primary right fielder, shifting Teoscar Hernández to left with Andy Pages in center.

Tucker also gives the Dodgers lineup –– at times too top-heavy and inconsistent last year –– another impact hitter capable of being both a slugging and on-base threat.

He will likely either second or third in the batting order, according to Roberts.

“He brings power, discipline, athleticism and consistency, all qualities we feel strongly help contribute to winning championships,” Gomes said.

Roberts set expectations for Tucker –– who has been one of the game’s most consistent producers over the last five seasons, but has recorded just one top-five MVP finish in his career –– even higher.

“Do I think [he could be] an MVP candidate?” Roberts asked rhetorically. “Absolutely.”

Kyle Tucker knows what’s being said about him.

About how he lacks enthusiasm for baseball.

About how he doesn’t have the heart to play through injuries.

About how his $240-million contract was an overpay for a player with only one top-five finish in MVP voting.

Introduced as the Dodgers’ latest addition in a Wednesday morning news conference, the 29-year-old outfielder said his understated personality shouldn’t be mistaken for absence of passion.

“I know what I try and do on the field and what I bring in the clubhouse,” Tucker said.

Which would make sense.

Players without internal drives usually don’t develop the kind of well-rounded game that made Tucker the grand prize of this free-agent market. They might have their moments, but they don’t maintain their performance levels for enough time to become four-time All-Stars, as Tucker has.

An absence of passion is alarming for a region in which Dwight Howard failed the Lakers, Anthony Rendon destroyed the Angels and Chip Kelly obliterated UCLA football, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was certain Tucker has the fortitude that belongs on a high-character team.

“There’s an inner fire I’ve seen,” manager Dave Roberts said.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he picked up on that in his conversations with Tucker.

Friedman said Tucker showed he valued the details of the game. He said Tucker was interested in how the Dodgers could assist him in becoming a better player, whether it be in the batter’s box, in the outfield, or on the basepaths.

“Having a guy who has achieved what he has, but still has that mentality of, ‘How do I get better?’” Friedman said. “Those are the guys that make it easier to bet on.”

Friedman wondered how much the public perception of Tucker has been hurt because he doesn’t have an “outward, exuberant personality.”

Judging by his introductory news conference, Tucker is Shohei Ohtani without his disarming smile.

His delivery was monotone. He registered no emotion as he relayed a light-hearted story about Freddie Freeman FaceTiming him to tell him to not do “anything stupid.”

About the only time Tucker became animated was when he leaped to the defense of Roberts when I teased the manager for not relinquishing his No. 30 jersey to him. (Roberts wears the number in honor of late mentor Maury Wills.)

There were traces of his emotional investment, however.

“I try and do my best out there, regardless of how I feel or what the situation is,” he said.

Tucker was slowed by injuries over the last two years.

He spoke about what he could contribute to the team when he was slumping — by moving runners over, by making pitchers work, by drawing walks.

“Little things like that can add up to a lot of wins throughout the season,” he said.

Tucker played in the postseason in each of the last seven years and said he was looking forward to returning with the Dodgers.

“I’m fired up,” he said.

Perhaps Tucker’s personality will emerge in time. Los Angeles can have that effect on players.

Tucker will wear No. 23 with the Dodgers, inheriting a number once worn by Adrian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was known as an introvert when he was acquired by the Dodgers in a blockbuster trade in 2012. By his second season with him, he was raising his hands to the sides of his helmet as if they were Mickey Mouse ears. He quickly became one of the most popular Dodgers of his generation.

And, remember, it was only a couple of years ago that Mookie Betts’ focus was being questioned. Two more World Series championships and a successful move to shortstop have dispelled any misgivings about Betts’ dedication. 

As were the cases with Gonzalez and Betts, the Dodgers believe there’s more in Tucker than he has shown. 

“I do think that Kyle’s mindset on the micro, the day-to-day, just winning a baseball game, that’s in line with what we do,” Roberts said.

The manager continued, “Do I think [he could be] an MVP candidate? Absolutely. Do I think he can win a Gold Glove? Absolutely.”

Tucker does that, and he could be in line for another contract with the Dodgers. Tucker’s deal is for four years, with opt-outs after the second and third years.

“In two or three years, we’ll know a lot more about things than we do now,” Friedman said. 

More specifically, they’ll know more about how seriously Tucker takes the game. They’ll know if he can be more than a reinforcement on an already-loaded roster. They’ll know if he is the caliber of player, and person, around which a championship team can be built.

LOS ANGELES — To say that Dave Roberts and Maury Wills were close is an understatement. Wills, the Dodgers’ all-time stolen base leader and six-time National League steals leader, took the base-stealing Roberts under his wing when Roberts was playing, and became a confidant for two decades, until Wills died in 2022.

“He was a friend, a father, a mentor, all of the above for me. This one is a tough one,” Roberts said after Wills’ death three and a half years ago. “He showed me to appreciate my craft, and what it is to be a big leaguer. He just loved to teach. A lot of where I get my excitement, my passion, my love for players is from him.”

Twenty-three different Dodgers players have worn number 30 since Wills last donned the uniform in 1972, including Roberts from 2002-04 when he was playing for the Dodgers. Roberts resumed wearing number 30 when he took over as manager in Los Angeles for the 2016 season.

So it was going to be a tall order for Kyle Tucker, who wore number 30 in his last five seasons with the Houston Astros, and also in 2025 with the Chicago Cubs, to keep wearing that same number with the Dodgers. But he had to at least try.

“I kind of knew the reasoning behind having the number 30, but I was like, I’m just gonna take a shot in the dark here and see what happens,” Tucker said during his introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. “I wasn’t necessarily expecting it.”

“It was a fun conversation Tuck and I had, and it was more — you know, Maury and I just had a great relationship,” Roberts said Wednesday. “One of the things that he was like, ‘Gosh, when I die I hope no one else wears that number.’ It’s really near and dear to me, so we talked about it.”

The Dodgers typically only retire uniform numbers of Hall of Famers who go into Cooperstown representing the team, with only two exceptions to date — Jim Gilliam and Fernando Valenzuela. Roberts is well on his way down the Hall of Fame path, having won three championships and five pennants in his 10 years on the job.

Roberts is one of only 11 managers to win the World Series at least three times. Nine of the other 10 are in the Hall of Fame, and Bruce Bochy will likely join them as early as 2027, depending on whether he decides to keep managing. Same for the 16 National League/American League managers with at least five pennants under their belt — 14 already in Cooperstown, plus Bochy and Roberts.

In other words, Roberts will likely have a plaque of his own in the Hall of Fame one day, and the number 30 will be retired at Dodger Stadium. He’ll be the last one to wear it.

Another connection to Wills is that in 2003, the middle year of Roberts’ three seasons playing in Los Angeles, he was teammates with utility man Jason Romano, who is now Tucker’s agent at Excel Sports.

With 30 unavailable, Tucker chose to wear number 23 with the Dodgers. That was the number worn by Michael Conforto, who’s one year with the Dodgers last season did not work out as either side planned. Though Tucker is going to play right field — with Teoscar Hernández shifting to left field, which both Roberts and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed on Wednesday — he’s essentially directly replacing Conforto, who played left field last season. So perhaps it’s fitting that he’s wearing the same number.

But Tucker had a different reason for choosing it. That was the number worn by Michael Brantley, the longtime Guardians outfielder who played the final five seasons of his career (2019-23) in Houston, alongside Tucker’s rise to a full-time player and eventual four-time All-Star.

“With me going to 23 — I mean, [Roberts] looking up to Maury Wills and kind of being his mentor and everything coming up, and him wanting to wear that for him — kind of the same thing with me, with 23 and Michael Brantley,” Tucker explained. “He’s the guy I hung out with a lot coming up in Houston, and he was a phenomenal ballplayer and one of my close friends. That played a big part into my choice going with that.”

Mets acquire ace pitcher Freddy Peralta from Brewers in trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The active New York Mets acquired ace pitcher Freddy Peralta and right-hander Tobias Myers from Milwaukee on Wednesday night in a trade that sent two top prospects to the Brewers.

Milwaukee received pitcher Brandon Sproat and minor league infielder/outfielder Jett Williams.

Peralta gives the Mets a frontline starter after their rotation faltered in the second half of a disappointing 2025 season. The move came hours after the Mets formally introduced free agent addition Bo Bichette at Citi Field, and one night after they obtained talented center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA last season, when he led the National League in wins and finished fifth in Cy Young Award voting. He earned his second All-Star selection after getting his first nod in 2021.

The 29-year-old right-hander is set to make $8 million this year and can become a free agent following the World Series. He becomes the latest former Brewers player acquired by Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who ran Milwaukee’s front office from 2015-23.

Myers, 27, was 9-6 with a 3.00 ERA as a rookie in 2024 before going 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 22 appearances last year.

AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee and AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.