The Los Angeles Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series championships and now appear poised to chase a historic three-peat.
On Thursday, the Dodgers agreed to sign free agent Kyle Tucker to a staggering four-year, $240 million contract, and an eye-popping $60 million per year. That annual value places Tucker firmly in the Shohei Ohtani tier of modern superstar contracts. In 2024, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal that was heavily deferred over 20 years. As a result, the Japanese superstar will earn just $2 million annually over the first 10 years, followed by $68 million per year over the back half of the agreement. That financial creativity is precisely how the Dodgers have managed to pluck multiple elite players from the free-agent market this offseason.
First, Los Angeles signed elite closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal that included a $9 million signing bonus. Then, when most believed Tucker would accept the Mets’ four-year, $55 million offer or possibly a long-term deal with the Blue Jays, the Dodgers swooped in and blew everyone away with a record-setting AAV of $60 million.
The Dodgers’ star power is now unprecedented. They are set to field seven players with multiple All-Star selections: catcher Will Smith (three-time All-Star), first baseman Freddie Freeman (nine-time All-Star), third baseman Max Muncy (two-time All-Star), shortstop Mookie Betts (eight-time All-Star), outfielder Teoscar Hernández (two-time All-Star), designated hitter Ohtani (five-time All-Star), and outfielder Tucker (four-time All-Star).
There is little reason for the Dodgers to pursue another elite free agent. This roster is so stacked that it almost feels inevitable they’ll remain championship favorites for the next decade. Hypothetically adding someone like Cody Bellinger would push the lineup into absurd territory, but with an emerging star in Andy Pages, there is simply no need. The Dodgers are loaded at every position.
Projected Lineup (2025 Stats):
Ohtani – DH (.282 BA, 1.014 OPS, 25 doubles, 9 triples, 55 HR, 102 RBI, 109 BB)
Betts – SS (.258 BA, 23 doubles, 2 triples, 20 HR, 82 RBI)
Freeman – 1B (.295 BA, 39 doubles, 2 triples, 24 HR, 90 RBI)
Smith – C (.296 BA, .901 OPS, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 17 HR, 61 RBI)
Tucker – RF (.266 BA, 25 doubles, 4 triples, 22 HR, 73 RBI)
Hernández – LF (.247 BA, 29 doubles, 1 triple, 25 HR, 89 RBI)
Muncy – 3B (.243 BA, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 19 HR, 67 RBI)
Pages – CF (.272 BA, 27 doubles, 1 triple, 27 HR, 86 RBI)
Edman – 2B (.225 BA, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 13 HR, 49 RBI)
Looking at this lineup, opposing pitchers will be in trouble even when they’re at the top of their game—and in many cases, that still may not be enough.
The Dodgers proved in 2025 that regular-season turbulence doesn’t faze them. Despite battling the San Diego Padres for most of the second half and winning the NL West by just three games, Los Angeles flipped the switch in October. They cruised through the first three playoff rounds before being pushed to the limit by a resilient Blue Jays team in the World Series. Still, the Dodgers found a way, breaking the hearts of Toronto fans and capturing their second straight title.
And they aren’t finished.
The truth is, the Dodgers didn’t need Kyle Tucker—but Tucker needed the Dodgers if he wanted the best possible chance to win a World Series. Barring injury, Tucker is on track to become a two-time World Series champion in 2026, as the Dodgers’ dynasty shows no signs of slowing down.
