The Los Angeles Dodgers’ financial backing could rival some small countries’ budgets.
On Thursday night, it was announced that the Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker to a massive four-year contract worth $240 million. This information was shared by Michael Ginnitti, co-founder and editor of Spotrac. With this deferred payment included, the Dodgers now have an eye-popping $2.11 billion in guaranteed payroll.
Moreover, the Dodgers have eight players with contracts exceeding $100 million. Among them are Shohei Ohtani, with a staggering $700 million deal, Mookie Betts at $365 million, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with $325 million backing him up, as reported by sports journalist Jun Lee.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers’ tax obligation is expected to reach $413 million by 2026, which is quite a bit higher than the New York Mets’ $317 million, who were also in the running for Tucker.
Tucker’s contract, announced late Thursday, places him just below the average annual salary record in Major League Baseball at $60 million, making it the highest ever reported. This doesn’t even account for Ohtani’s stunning $70 million per year deal, most of which is deferred until later years.
According to Jon Heyman, the Mets had made a final offer of $220 million for Tucker, but that couldn’t match what the Dodgers put on the table.
Breaking down Tucker’s contract, it will see him earn $60 million during the first two years and $50 million in the latter two, with no extensions mentioned.
Clearly, he was the top position player among free agents—and he’s now part of an already impressive lineup with the Dodgers. Earlier this offseason, they also brought in All-Star closer Edwin Diaz from the Mets.
This latest signing reflects the Dodgers’ continued commitment to building a powerhouse, a move echoed by their recent success in clinching back-to-back World Series titles.
