Kyle Tucker’s first season in Los Angeles never really settled into one clean storyline. It was a rough debut overall, but the finish gave the Dodgers something real to chew on.
For most of the year, Tucker was stuck in a slump that showed up everywhere: a .221/.321/.350 line and negative value on both sides of the ball. Then came the final 17 games of the regular season, when he finally looked like himself again.
In that stretch, he hit .333/.406/.667 and launched five of his 17 home runs. That surge carried straight into October, where he was one of the few Dodgers who actually provided a spark in a postseason lineup that struggled to find one.
That late push is now part of the big question heading into year two of his four-year, $240 million deal: which Kyle Tucker shows up in 2027? Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru of MLB.com dug into that question, weighing Tucker’s scorching finish against the track record he built before arriving in Los Angeles.
The read there is pretty clear - either the September and October burst was a one-off, or it simply took Tucker that long to get back on track. If it’s the second answer, the Dodgers may have another legitimate middle-of-the-order bat waiting for them in 2027.
There’s also a contract watch forming around Andy Pages. The center fielder is one of 28 Super-2 players eligible for salary arbitration, according to the Associated Press. Pages, 25, just turned in his first All-Star season and led the Dodgers in both RBI, with 85, and defensive runs saved, with 20.
Teoscar Hernández, meanwhile, has already landed on offseason trade watch lists. Dayn Perry of CBS Sports included him among the 25 players most likely to be dealt this winter, with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners listed as possible landing spots. The Mariners would be a return trip for Hernández, who played there before joining the Dodgers.
And then there’s the Blake Snell-Tarik Skubal connection, which keeps growing. The two built a friendship during the second half of the season, and Snell is now openly trying to bring Skubal to Los Angeles. In an interview with David Vassegh of SportsNet LA, Snell made his pitch to the two-time AL Cy Young winner:
“He knows how I feel. I want nothing more than for him to be a Dodger.
It’s a big life decision for him and his family, so I respect that. I’ve done my pitch… I think we have a good shot.”
In Other News...
Dodgers Fans Have A New Prospect Debate With A Fall Stars Twist
Major League Baseballs Fall Stars Game roster announcement gave Dodgers fans a fresh reason to keep an eye on the Arizona Fall League, with third baseman Chase Harlan and pitcher Luke Fox landing on the National League team. The showcase will be played Sunday at Salt River Fields and aired on MLB Network, giving the organization another chance to see two of its prospects on a bigger stage.
Now the debate shifts to who should join them, with fans voting on one more National League spot from a pool that includes Dodgers prospects Eduardo Quintero and Charles Davalan, along with Padres infielder Justin DeCriscio. For a player development system that has already put two names on the roster, the final choice adds a little extra intrigue for Dodgers followers who have been tracking the fall circuit closely. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Could Be Near A Tough Kik Hernndez Decision
Kik Hernndez has been one of the more familiar October pieces in the Dodgers recent run, a utility presence who has shown up in postseason after postseason since 2015 and given the club flexibility all over the diamond. Even with that track record, the offseason always has a way of forcing uncomfortable choices, and Hernndezs status is now part of that familiar roster churn as Los Angeles weighs how to reshape its bench and defensive depth.
One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Mauricio Dubon, the versatile defender most recently with the Atlanta Braves. Dubon would likely come at a higher salary, which only adds to the calculus for a Dodgers front office trying to balance value with familiarity, and while a move away from Hernndez looks increasingly possible, it is not yet official. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Lose A Bullpen Weapon To A Familiar Rival
The Dodgers have already made one major bullpen splash by landing Edwin Daz, and they are not likely to stop there as they keep looking for ways to deepen a roster built to chase another title. With Tarik Skubal expected to be a major winter target, Los Angeles is also being linked to a more immediate relief-market possibility in Padres left-hander Adrin Morejn, a pitcher who has quietly become one of the more interesting names in the division.
Morejn has been extended a qualifying offer by San Diego and has until November 17 to decide whether to take it or test free agency, which leaves the door open for a familiar rival to make a run at him. For the Dodgers, the appeal is obvious: pairing Morejn with Daz would give them another high-end bullpen look, while also turning a Padres weapon into part of the same late-inning mix that has long frustrated opponents in the National League West. [Read more 🡒]