The Los Angeles Dodgers might just be pulling off another classic Dodgers offseason - quiet at first, then suddenly seismic. After making a splash at the Winter Meetings by signing All-Star closer Edwin Díaz - a move few saw coming given the presumed need to trim payroll - L.A. now appears to be circling one of the biggest names left on the market: Kyle Tucker.
Tucker entered the offseason as one of the most coveted free agents available. At one point, a $400 million contract didn’t seem out of the question. But a strange and injury-marred finish to his 2025 season with the Cubs has cooled the market considerably.
Let’s rewind. Tucker began the year on a tear, living up to the billing of a franchise cornerstone.
But things took a turn late in the season. He tried to gut through a hand injury, which clearly affected his swing and led to a prolonged slump.
Then, just as the Cubs were pushing for a postseason berth, Tucker left the team to rehab a calf injury with his personal training staff in Tampa Bay. That move raised some eyebrows inside and outside the organization.
The result? The Cubs are out on Tucker this winter. Maybe it’s part of a broader spending strategy, but it’s hard not to connect the dots between his awkward exit and their lack of interest now.
Other potential suitors have taken different routes. The Phillies, who had been linked to Tucker, opted instead for a buy-low deal with Adolis Garcia. The Yankees and Giants, two clubs always lurking around big-name free agents, seem more focused on Cody Bellinger than the reigning NL Silver Slugger.
That leaves the Toronto Blue Jays as the one team still seriously in the mix - at least on paper. But the fact that a deal hasn’t come together yet might be telling. If Tucker was going to get that $400 million mega-deal, it probably would’ve happened by now.
And that’s where the Dodgers come in.
Los Angeles has been lurking in the background all offseason. They’ve been methodical, patient - and now, opportunistic. With Tucker’s market softening, the Dodgers could be in position to strike, especially if he’s open to a short-term, high-AAV deal with opt-outs, similar to the one Alex Bregman signed with Boston last offseason.
That kind of structure would be right in the Dodgers’ wheelhouse. It gives them elite talent without long-term payroll complications. And for Tucker, it’s a chance to reset his market and hit free agency again in a year or two - potentially healthier, more productive, and with fewer question marks.
It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, the idea of L.A. landing both Díaz and Tucker felt like wishful thinking. But now?
It’s not just possible - it’s starting to feel probable. The Dodgers are once again showing why they’re one of the smartest, most aggressive teams in baseball.
And if they do land Tucker, it’ll be another reminder that in L.A., the offseason doesn’t start with noise - it ends with fireworks.