Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani made one of the first moves, immediately after the All-Star on Instagram. Tucker and Ohtani know each other well and have played against each other many times during their respective times in the AL West.
Starting pitcher Blake Snell also sent a simple message, sharing a report of Tucker’s move to his story and adding an emoji.
He wasn’t the only one to add to their story, however, as reliever Brock Stewart also added an emoji to his, along with a message about the Dodgers’ expected lineup for next season.
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What does Kyle Tucker’s move mean for the Dodgers?
Tucker, the best bat available in free agency this season, fits into the Dodgers’ lineup immediately and addresses their biggest remaining need this season: the outfield.
The four-time All-Star has proven his mettle in recent years, making it to each of the last four All-Star Games and hitting 20 or more home runs in each of his last five seasons. Even playing through injury in 2025, Tucker belted 22 home runs and 73 RBIs over the course of the season while maintaining an OPS of .841.
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The outfielder will likely take over his preferred position in right field from Teoscar Hernández, moving the veteran back to left field if he remains with the team this offseason.
With Tucker coming in, all nine players in the Dodgers’ projected lineup for the upcoming season have posted a campaign with an fWAR higher than 4.0.
Tucker’s four-year, $240 million contract takes the Dodgers’ payroll to $413 million by 2026, giving them a luxury tax bill of $161.8 million for the upcoming season — a number higher than the payroll of 12 MLB teams.
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L.A. will likely remain atop the payrolls for another season after their big-money contract, and are certainly doing so with a single goal in mind: winning the World Series for the third straight season.
Photo credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn images
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