Tom Verducci’s 10 Thoughts On Kyle Tucker’s Record Dodgers Contract

In summation to nan tie of their money, nan Los Angeles Dodgers are baseball’s premier destination team. Want apical dollar, a 2nd backstage squad plane, state-of-the-art support and training unit and the champion changeable astatine winning nan World Series? Look nary further than nan Dodgers, arsenic their signing of free supplier outfielder Kyle Tucker proved erstwhile again.

No squad tin compete pinch them. Just inquire nan Mets. Not moreover Steve Cohen’s money could support Edwin Díaz aliases Tucker from jumping aboard nan Dodgers’ train. Four years and $240 million for a feline who has ne'er deed much than 30 location runs? Now that’s flexing your financial biceps.

So, cue nan worn-out ballad astir really nan Dodgers are ruining baseball, astir really they are paying a feline $60 cardinal a twelvemonth who has received superior MVP information erstwhile and is apt to deed 5th successful their lineup. But dang, this is nosy to person a legit shot dynasty again, conscionable waiting to spot which squad tin prime them disconnected successful a playoff series.

Here are 10 things you request to cognize astir Tucker, nan Dodgers and nan contract:

Ten Things to Know About Kyle Tucker’s Signing With Dodgers

1. The statement is groundbreaking. Yes, Shohei Ohtani is making $70 cardinal per twelvemonth ($46 cardinal if you count coming time worth because of deferrals), Juan Soto is making $51 cardinal and Aaron Judge $40 million. But those are each semipermanent deals that salary those players done ages 38, 39 and 39, respectively. The Dodgers conscionable group a caller marketplace for buying only premier years. They paid $60 cardinal a twelvemonth without having to interest astir a diminution shape aliases nan accounting gymnastics of adding years to little nan AAV.

2. Opt outs aft years 2 and three? Really? Because location is much money retired there? Because nan Dodgers mightiness not beryllium very good? Hey, why not inquire for nan moon. 

3. Tucker is not a franchise player. He has made half of his profession starts hitting 5th aliases lower. He has ne'er deed much than 30 location runs and vanished successful nan apical 10 successful MVP voting once. In that sense, he picked nan correct team. The Dodgers are nan only outfit wherever a $60 cardinal a twelvemonth subordinate tin blend successful arsenic a complementary subordinate without nan expectations of carrying a team.

4. So, what makes him awesome (and greatly paid)? He does galore things well, particularly controlling nan onslaught zone, 1 of nan top predictors of continued success. Last season, Tucker was 1 of only 3 players who classed astatine slightest successful nan 85th percentile successful locomotion rate, strikeout complaint and pursuit rate. The others were Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of Toronto and Geraldo Perdomo of Arizona.

5. You thought nan Dodgers were bully past year? The Dodgers—the squad that conscionable won nan World Series for a 2nd consecutive time—essentially replaced Michael Conforto pinch Tucker, 40 starts by Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May pinch afloat seasons of Ohtani and Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott and his 4.74 ERA pinch Díaz. Pat Riley is counting nan three-peat residuals.

6. Entering his property 29 season, Tucker’s champion profession comp is Hall of Famer Larry Walker.

Tucker is 1 of only 11 left-handed hitters astatine this property pinch 100 homers, 100 RBI and a .500 slugging percentage, and nan first since Bryce Harper. But his expertise to put nan shot successful play pinch those skills makes him moreover much of an outlier. Only 2 left-handed hitters reached those thresholds pinch less strikeouts: Goose Goslin and Larry Walker. Check retired nan similarity betwixt Walker and Tucker:

Larry Walker vs. Kyle Tucker Stats Through Age 29

Walker aged well. Over his adjacent 10 seasons, his slugging (.608) accrued and his batting mean improved from .286 to .332. In this case, nan Dodgers don’t person to interest astir aging curves. They are buying nan property 29, 30, 31 and 32 seasons of Tucker—the premier of a awesome subordinate pinch nary diminution shape attached. 

7. This doesn’t mean nan Dodgers will frighten nan 116 wins of nan 2001 Mariners. Ever since nan Dodgers put their ft to nan level to triumph 111 games successful 2022—only to spell one-and-done successful nan playoffs—they person de-emphasized moving up a precocious regular play triumph full successful favour of workload guidance to scope October pinch state successful nan tank.

They won “only” 93 games past year. Four teams won more. The method is spreading. No squad has won 100 games 2 years running. Expanded playoffs without a immense inducement for a precocious triumph full intends Los Angeles, pinch its older roster, will proceed to play nan regular play conservatively.

8. Tucker is platoon neutral. He is an opposing manager’s worst nightmare. He slugs .508 against righties and .505 against lefties.

9. His defense is successful decline—slightly. Tucker passes nan eyeball trial arsenic an supra mean fielder, but nan protect metrics person him successful a three-year diminution since he won a Gold Glove successful 2022. Injuries do look to person constricted his scope and fearlessness. Just beryllium observant applying protect metrics arsenic absolute measurements. They would person you judge that Tucker past twelvemonth was worse than Teoscar Hernández successful correct field.

10. This is bully news for Cody Bellinger, who is simply a amended defender than Tucker and a spot little reliable arsenic a hitter. The Blue Jays and Mets, losers successful nan bidding connected Tucker, tin move their attraction to Bellinger, putting unit connected nan Yankees to adhd to their five-year connection if they want to clasp him.

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