The Los Angeles Dodgers are widely seen as the biggest bullies on the block.
Opposing fanbases hate them, many pundits wonder if the franchise is ruining baseball with its impressive spending, and the thought of this team being more star-studded is something few will be able to swallow.
Based on one notable expert’s report, these “haters” may want to brace themselves for an even more impressive Dodgers roster next season.
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Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently publish an article in which he analyzed star outfielder Kyle Tucker’s emerging free agent market. The 28-year-old is widely expected to be the best position player available this winter.
“Will the rich get richer? The Dodgers are expected to play for No. 1 free agent Kyle Tucker, who would fit in well in the National League’s top lineup,” Heyman wrote.
The Dodgers are said to love Tucker, and outfield is their only area of less-than-great strength. Although their payroll is already an MLB-record $400 million, they tried to acquire the No. 1 free agent, Juan Soto, last year with an offer of around $600 million (delayed, of course) before falling out and finishing fifth among the five finalists in the largest free cop derby ever.”
Heyman then theorizes about what a potential outfield could look like with Tucker in the fold.
“The Dodgers could install Tucker in right field and move Teoscar Hernández to left, giving them a potentially productive outfield to go along with the game’s most star-studded infield. The only slight negative is that Tucker is a left-handed hitter, which would throw them off balance somewhat.”
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There is virtually no chance of Michael Conforto re-signing with the team given his season-long struggles in 2025. Tucker would represent a clear upgrade given the production and talent he brings. As far as the Dodgers are concerned, Tucker appears to be a seamless fit given his ability to get on base and make his work count.
As the image above shows (courtesy of Baseball Savant), Tucker’s offensive skill is real. In the event that he makes up a third of Tucker-Hernandez-Pages’ outfield, it would allow the Dodgers to have Tommy Edman man the second base spot on a full-time basis.
Additionally, the Dodgers could opt to go younger with Edman in center, Hyeseong Kim at second base and Hernandez as trade bait. Los Angeles also has a host of very good outfield prospects in the minor leagues (Zyhir Hope, Mike Sirota, Josue De Paula, Eduardo Quintero, Kendall George, James Tibbs III).
Zooming out to the bigger picture, the Dodgers have as many options as any team in the major leagues, given their organizational depth and deep pockets.
Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn images
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