Kyle Tucker is the star of this winter's free-agent class. While he's far from alone, there's little doubt he'll receive the largest contract of any available player when all is said and done, barring a surprise Tarik Skubal extension with the Detroit Tigers.
Tucker should have plenty of interested suitors, starting of course with the Chicago Cubs, who will at least make an offer to retain his services. However, Tucker has already been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which should make the rest of the league extremely worried. The Dodgers need corner outfield help. Who better to fill that void than Tucker, who had a 4.6 bWAR and .841 OPS last season in what was considered a slightly down year by his standards? An added link with Tucker's agent, Casey Close, could make that fit even more attractive to Los Angeles.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Why the Dodgers will have plenty of competition to sign Kyle Tucker
Why wouldn't they be interested? Contracts signed by Shohei Ohtani and other stars on the Dodgers roster give the front office more leeway than they would otherwise have to win now thanks to the deferred money on those deals. The Dodgers are chasing history, as they hope to be the first MLB team to threepeat as World Series champions since the late-90's New York Yankees.
They won't be alone, as Tucker has been linked to big spenders like the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Blue Jays and more already this winter. Toronto, in particular, could be pushed to make the most lucrative offer for Tucker, especially if they lose Bo Bichette to free agency. The Jays came just outs away from defeating the Dodgers in the Fall Classic a few weeks back, and have engaged in battles for Ohtani and Roki Sasaki in recent winters with LA. Another war for Tucker is on the horizon, and recent rumblings give the Blue Jays as good of a chance as anyone.
"You've heard the same teams named all week -- the Yankees, the Phillies, the Dodgers. The one team I heard more than anybody else connected to Tucker was the Blue Jays," Feinsand said during Thursday's edition of MLB Tonight. "Obviously right now [the Blue Jays have] all the momentum in the world coming off the World Series appearance. ... I think Tucker is certainly going to be in the mix there in Toronto."
What the Dodgers have that Toronto doesn't is recent history with Tucker's agent, Casey Close. That advantage could come into play later this winter.
Who is Casey Close, Tucker's agent, and why does it give the Dodgers an edge?
I mean, look, it is the job of Tucker's agent to get him the best contract, wherever that may be. In the case of Casey Close, he's been here before. In the 2021-22 offseason, Close was Freddie Freeman's agent, and helped the All-Star first baseman sign a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers. That free-agent chase was filled with drama, as Freeman was a career Brave at that point and didn't particularly want to leave. However, Freeman wanted a sixth year in his deal, and Alex Anthopoulos wasn't willing to add it. Thus, Freeman became a Dodgers. Close did his job, even though some Braves fans remain bitter.
Close is a prominent agent. He has clients all around baseball, so his link to Freeman won't be enough to overpower other suitors who can make better offers. Yet, can any other team make a better offer than the Dodgers? If Tucker wants to win a World Series – and why wouldn't he – the Dodgers give him the best chance. Their front office has also shown a willingness to spend money in free agency and retain top talent. There's a reason Los Angeles has been the toast of baseball the past two seasons.
Close's relationship with the Dodgers will only help Tucker this winter, either by driving up the price or helping him land in LA. It should be noted that Close no longer represents Freeman, but that doesn't alter his close ties to the front office, which he worked with to get Freddie the deal he desired at the time. He can achieve that same goal with Tucker, whether it be in LA or (baseball fans can only hope) elsewhere.