Hey, so after a long quiet period to start 2026, everyone finally has what they wanted: something to write about and comment on. Baseball fans were probably all happy about itright?
Right.
https://t.co/dJk185B67i pic.twitter.com/PAdqPOMFoo
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) January 16, 2026
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Baseball prospectus: Patrick Dubuque wrote about the Evaders signature Kyle Tucker and how round it is.
One of the reasons it’s so easy to talk about money when you’re talking about Kyle Tucker is that it’s surprisingly difficult to talk about anything else. That’s not to say Tucker isn’t good – with an expected 136 DRC+ he’s clearly very good – but his image and his numbers are purely Polish. One of the most versatile players in the game, the four-time All Star doesn’t have a single weak spot to expose or manipulate, nor has he generated the kind of highlight reel you’d expect from The Man Who Earned the Biggest Contract Ever™.
MLB: Will Leitch mentions what no one wants to hear, but it’s downright true: the Dodgers probably needed Tucker (or some sort of major outfield upgrade).
If you want to defend your title (again), entering the season with the 18th best outfield in baseball isn’t the best way to go. Tucker is a perfect fit in right field for the Dodgers, and at 28 years old (if only until his birthday on Saturday), he’s actually becoming one of the younger guys in that lineup. The Dodgers have many strengths, but before this acquisition, the outfield was not one of them. It is now.
FanGraph: Jay Jaffe talks a bit about the likely fallout from Tucker’s deal.
Given that it’s the two-time champions adding the number one free agent on the market, setting an AAV record, and using a certain amount of deferred money to bulk up their muscle, this isn’t likely to lessen anyone’s anger toward the Dodgers, or rival fans’ and executives’ discomfort over their combination of spending and success. Rather, it will increase the noise about the game’s financial inequality and the seeming inevitability of a lockout next winter, renew calls for a salary cap and likely spur sales of fainting benches among team owners. It is likely that the next collective bargaining agreement will introduce even harsher penalties for the crime of trying to win. Until then, the Dodgers are aiming for a three-peat.
He also mentions that it’s an overpayment on paper, which I’m sure is true by $/WAR or whatever. In reality, though, it’s only actually an overpayment if the move limits the Dodgers elsewhere. There’s no evidence that this would be the case, so it’s hard to care.
ESPN: Bradford Doolittle gives the Tucker deal an A-, also citing an overpayment…
From a purely actuarial perspective, I don’t think Tucker will be worth $60 million per season. Today, if we assume $10 million as the cost of a win in free agency, simple math says Tucker would have to average six WAR per season for LA to break even on the deal. It’s much more complicated than that, but let’s go with that framework. Tucker, as good as he has been, has never had a six-war season.
…but ultimately conclude that it doesn’t matter and that joining the Dodgers could set him up for a career year of sorts.
What remains intact – in a very Dodgers-esque way – are Tucker’s indicators of plate discipline, contact rates and getting the barrel on the ball. Now he’s plugged into the Dodgers’ machine, one of many stars on a team of champions, and it’s easy to imagine a career renaissance ahead.
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FanGraph: This is ignored the last Dodgers Roundup was a mistake, but here are their Top 52 prospects for the Dodgers, led by José de Paula. Notable placements in the rankings are Emil Morales at #4, Christian Zazueta at #7, Marlon Nieves at #12, Luis Carias at #17, Oliver González at #18, and Kyle hurt at #28 – the first five because they are high and the last because they are low. 22 other prospects were also mentioned, for a whopping 74 total.
As much as an organization can exclude entire continents, so do the Dodgers. Their global influence generally gives them better access to the best Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese players, and they also operate a presence in Africa without much competition there. Few teams can fund some of this stuff, let alone execute it well. The Dodgers do both and are arguably the best franchise in American sports right now. This system is great and one of the best in the game, despite lacking much polished impact pitching.
Correctly.
Baseball America: The publication ranked the top prospects at each position, including five Dodgers prospects: Chase Harlan at #5 for 3B, Eduardo Quintero at #4 and Mike Sirota at #5 for CF, and De Paula at #3 and Zyhir Hope at #10 for LF/RF. The system is a bit outfield-heavy.
Baseball America: 21-year-old outfielder Samuel Munoz was chosen as a breakout potential whose potential was masked by a modest statistical line: .239/.347/.389/.736 in A/A+.
The 21-year-old Munoz has strong underlying contact stats, but his impact ability remains to be seen. His 79% contact rate and 16% in-zone whiff rate are solid for his age and level, and he makes quality swing decisions as evidenced by his 18% chase rate. Munoz’s exit velocities are more of a mixed bag. Its maximum EV of 180 km/h is intriguing, but its 90th percentile of 160 km/h is more average.
If Munoz can combine improved contact quality with his hitting feel, he could take a step forward in 2026.
Baseball America: 23-year-old right-handed starting pitcher Aidan Foeller was chosen as a breakout pitcher whose potential was masked by a modest stat line: 4.65 ERA/4.80 FIP over 98.2 innings in A/A+.
Foeller has a sturdy 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, and his stuff shows up in models. He has one of the highest material grades in the Dodgers system, led by his fastball, which has a strong combination of flare and shape. His fastball averages 90 mph with an induced vertical break of over 18 inches. It combines that speed and shape with an extension of just under two meters and a higher discharge height. This combination allows his fastball to play above his velocity and higher in the zone. His command of the pitch is a work in progress, but it had an excellent whiff rate of 38%, which ranked second in the Dodgers system in 2025. Foeller’s secondary offering is more of a work in progress. They all have below average control data, but there may be flashbat missing potential.
Because of the quality of his fastball, Foeller has a major league edge, especially if his velocity takes a step forward in shorter stints.
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Dodger Insider: About all those “Clayton Kershaw has thrown his last pitch” posts… well, he has decided to pitch for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
“I learned a long time ago that you just want to be a part of great things,” Kershaw told MLB Network on Thursday. “And this team seems like a really fun, great group.”
For the atmosphere, honey.
Sporty: Shohei Ohtani earned a whopping ~$100 million in endorsements by 2025. This comedic figure leads all athletes, putting him among the all-timers.
Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is all postponed beyond the $2 million per year, but the Japanese superstar earned an estimated $100 million from sponsors and memorabilia during the 2025 season, when he won his fourth MVP. He also earned a $485,000 postseason bonus for the Dodgers’ second straight World Series title.
Entering the 2025 season, Ohtani added six companies to his endorsement portfolio. His first season with the Dodgers in 2024 further elevated his global reputation. Ohtani’s $100 million in endorsement revenue in one year is a threshold only three athletes have ever reached: Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Curry, who have each done it once.
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Anyway, don’t forget to enjoy this.
Rival fans rooting for the sport they’re happy to collapse because your favorite team owns so much is truly the height of sports fandom.
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