All anyone can do is laugh.
Dodgers fans are in a happy mood after outfielder Kyle Tucker, the undisputed jewel of this year’s free-agent class, signed a reported four-year, $240 million deal that includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons.
Meanwhile, the 29 other MLB fanbases will just have to laugh through the pain of watching yet another star player join the defending World Series champions as they go for a three-peat.
Here are our takeaways:
1. Dodgers address their two biggest needs with the best options available
On Dec. 8, manager Dave Roberts said there was “no big splash” the Dodgers needed to make. Later that week, they made one anyway when they signed closer Edwin Diaz. And five weeks later, in an offseason in which they initially seemed content to sit out of the top end of the free-agent market, they’ve also now added the top overall player available in Tucker.
They are always lurking, ready to pounce, especially if a star becomes available on a shorter-term deal. That was the case this winter, as the reigning champs addressed their two most glaring needs — bullpen and outfield — with the two best free agents at their respective positions.
They were able to convince Díaz to sign for three years by giving him the highest average annual value ever for a reliever. They got Tucker, who was also projected to sign a much longer deal, for four years with opt-outs by giving him the highest AAV ever for an outfielder (Mets slugger Juan Soto previously held that mark at $51 million) and the second-highest annual salary ever for a player behind only his new teammate Shohei Ohtani. Accounting for deferrals, Tucker’s deal is an annual record in present-day value.
The cost is staggering for any team, let alone a club that is already penalized at the highest tax rate. But the Dodgers have made abundantly clear that no matter how much money they’ve already spent, there’s always more available in their Ohtani economy.
The additions of Díaz and Tucker, who both had a qualifying offer attached, will also cost the Dodgers their second, third, fifth and sixth-highest picks in the 2026 draft. But president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman vowed that the Dodgers would do everything they can to put themselves in the best position to win again in 2026. And by adding Díaz and Tucker to a championship roster, they’re in prime position to become the first team to three-peat since the 1998-00 Yankees. – Kavner
2. How do the Mets save their offseason?
(Photo by Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
Mets owner Steve Cohen provoked intense reactions when he posted a cryptic message on social media — “Let me know when you see smoke” — on Thursday night, just a couple of hours before news broke about Tucker’s decision to sign with the Dodgers. Cohen stoked the fire, only for Tucker to sidestep the Mets’ offer.
Speaking of smoke, the Mets have been under fire all winter after president of baseball operations David Stearns broke up the team’s core, with Pete Alonso (Orioles), Brandon Nimmo (Rangers), and Diaz (Dodgers) all departing from New York in the first part of the offseason. Signing Tucker would’ve expunged the anguish of losing three fan favorites.
How can the Mets save their offseason now? Stearns created a void in the outfield when he dealt Nimmo to Texas. The Mets wanted Tucker to fill that void, hoping their substantial offer would be enough. Now, they can pivot by pushing hard for free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, whose versatility in left field and first base is a perfect match for the Mets.
Beyond position-player upgrades, the Mets still have to bolster their rotation, which was the primary reason they missed the playoffs in their disappointing 83-win season last year. With Ranger Suarez off the board, would signing left-hander Framber Valdez (our top-ranked free agent pitcher) be enough to change the so-far bewildering state of their offseason? For now, limiting Cohen’s social-media usage could be a good start. – Thosar
3. Blue Jays absorb yet another Dodgers gut-punch
Not again.
That has to be the prevailing thought from a jilted Blue Jays fanbase. Two years ago, they lost the Ohtani free agency sweepstakes. Last offseason, they lost the Roki Sasaki battle and then fell in agonizing fashion in Game 7 of the World Series. And now, Toronto has absorbed its latest L.A. gut-punch with Tucker choosing the Dodgers.
The Blue Jays were among the favorites to land the top free agent, a move that would have unquestionably made them the winners of the offseason and set their outfield up for years to come with George Springer and Daulton Varsho both entering their final year under contract in Toronto. Missing out on Tucker is a tough blow.
Still, unlike past offseasons, this winter was a success for the Blue Jays even after the miss. After signing Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers, they’ve spent more than any team in free agency and have put themselves in strong position to repeat as AL East champions. Tucker would have represented an obvious upgrade, but with Addison Barger, Varsho, Anthony Santander and Nathan Lukes, they can still field an adequate outfield. As currently constructed, they have a team capable of making another deep October run.
Plus, the winter is not yet done. Perhaps they now turn more of their focus, and the money they would have spent on Tucker, toward bringing back top infielder Bo Bichette. – Kavner
4. A fresh wave of CBA and lockout talk
The Dodgers’ signing of Tucker invites more discourse of a potential lockout at the end of this year. MLB’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1, after which the league is expected to lock out the players and shut down free agency and trades, like it did in 2021.
Once again, MLB owners are pushing for a salary cap, pointing to huge payroll gaps and the fact that the Dodgers are continuously stacking stars and flexing their financial might in unprecedented ways, while arguing that smaller-market teams cannot compete.
Particularly after the Tucker signing, most fan bases are more likely to side with the owners. The players union is prepared to stand in the way, which could lead to missed games amid a work stoppage in 2027.
For the Dodgers’ part, all they care about is winning. But it’s important to remember, their drive to compete has improved the bottom line. They paid nearly $170 million in luxury taxes in 2025, which shattered the record. This will be their sixth-straight year paying the highest penalty rates. The more the Dodgers pay in luxury taxes, the more money they’re redirecting to other clubs through revenue sharing.
While a salary cap would, in theory, lead to financial fairness, the Dodgers’ present-day success is years in the making – including their shrewd front-office strategies (deferring player salaries) and strong player development. Those advantages won’t change even if a cap somehow goes through. Still, the Dodgers yet again signing the top free agent in the class will only intensify talks of a lockout and potential nasty labor fight. – Thosar
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Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
