Kyle Tucker says Dodgers' pursuit of 3-peat made decision 'easier' - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — With multiple offers in free agency, Kyle Tucker was ultimately swayed by the Los Angeles Dodgers' championship pedigree.

«It's a big decision, so you still got to weigh out everything,» he said, «but this team and this city and the fanbase kind of makes it a little bit easier to make some decisions. That is just ultimately what we wanted to do is come here and be part of that and try to win another World Series.»

Tucker signed a $240 million, four-year contract, choosing the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers over the New York Mets and World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays. He can opt out after years two and three.

«Obviously, we started lower,» joked Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations. «It doesn't mean that it has to be two, three, four years here. It could be longer than that. For him to choose us when he had other longer term and other shorter term, I think speaks to the growth and progress that we've made on creating a destination spot.»

Tucker's $60 million average annual value is the second-highest in baseball history, without factoring in deferred money, behind Shohei Ohtani's $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2033.

«There was really nobody that moved our World Series odds for 2026 more than Kyle Tucker,» general manager Brandon Gomes said.

Tucker's signing reignited talk of management proposing a salary cap in collective bargaining after the Dodgers added yet another star to one of the sport's highest payrolls.

«We don't pay much attention to that because we operate within the rules and we do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position, both short term and long term, and we're not thinking about more macro