Considered by many to be the top free agent on the market this offseason, Kyle Tucker’s long-drawn free agency saga finally came to an end in mid-January, as he signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the LA Dodgers. The deal offers Tucker a massive $60 million AAV.
Since then, many have claimed that the Dodgers’ methods of offering such exorbitant contracts to top free agents are “bad for baseball.”
Making an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of the “Baseball Is Dead” podcast, pitcher Pete Fairbanks, who signed a one-year, $13 million contract to join the Miami Marlins on December 28, offered his opinion on Tucker’s move.
“I was kind of blown away by it. 60! That part was nutty for me. Obviously, it’s different structures, it’s not a one-for-one. You can’t necessarily make an apt comparison between your NBA super matches and stuff to baseball, right? It’s a different system. But I love the guys kind of signing those super matches,” Fairbanks said (9:48).
“Where you get the freedom to hit it again, but you’re also maxing your AAV over those years. Looking at pro players making as much money as possible, I love it, I get the frustrations that you hear in the fandom side of things, and the media world. But if you have an organization that is willing to pay the agreed-upon, if they’re willing to pay double to add a very talented ballplayer, that’s cool,” he added.
Dodgers President Explains How The Team Made Sure Kyle Tucker Is A Good Fit, Lists The Indicators They Considered To Evaluate His Quality
Speaking to insider David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports on January 21, Dodgers president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, explained how the team ensured that Kyle Tucker would be a good fit for them. He also revealed the indicators the team used to evaluate the slugger’s quality before signing him.
“We spent a lot of time on this, talking to teammates, coaches, trainers and clubhouse staff he’s been around, just trying to understand him more,” Friedman said (7:10). “You know, doesn’t have the most demonstrative personality. It’s not the biggest personality. So I think his demeanor can be misconstrued.”
“For us, we’ve got enough personalities. For us, it’s about how well he competes in the box, how hard he works, how much he cares about winning,” Friedman added (7:45). “For us, we felt like all those questions were really satisfied. His commitment to doing that defensive routine daily, which our guys do, we think speaks to that attention to detail.”
Kyle Tucker ended the 2025 season with a .266 batting average, 22 home runs, and 73 RBIs. While helping the Chicago Cubs reach the postseason, Tucker earned All-Star honors and a Silver Slugger award.
As the Dodgers look to go all-out for a historic three-peat in 2026, fans will hope to see more of the same from the outfielder next season.
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