The top MLB free agent has found a new landing spot, and it's the two-time defending champions.
The top MLB free agent has found a new landing spot, and it's the two-time defending champions. After one season with the Chicago Cubs, outfielder Kyle Tucker has agreed to a deal with the Dodgers, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Cubs extended a qualifying offer to Tucker in early November, which he declined. As a result, Chicago will receive draft-pick compensation for the outfielder.
Tucker, the top player in Yahoo Sports' free agency rankings, has been a consistent middle-of-the-order hitter for much of his career, with two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove to his name. Although he's coming off of an on-and-off season with the Cubs, Tucker has plenty to add to the Dodgers' already stocked lineup.
After spending the first seven years of his MLB career with the Houston Astros, Tucker was sent to the Cubs last offseason as part of a blockbuster deal. Chicago acquired Tucker knowing he was set to become a free agent this winter, but the team was willing to make a gamble for one year of the versatile outfielder.
Tucker's time in Chicago started great, with the outfielder putting up his usual superb numbers and earning his fourth straight All-Star nod. But after the All-Star break, Tucker began to slump while dealing with injuries.
The outfielder's numbers dropped in the summer, with the team revealing in August that he had been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right hand two months earlier. Once Tucker started to get back into form, he was placed on the injured list due to calf tightness in September and missed more than three weeks.
Overall, the year was a tale of two halves for Tucker: He batted .231/.360/.378 in the second half of the season while playing through those injuries, as opposed to a .280/.384/.499 slash line in the first half.
When Tucker is healthy, he can be a significant offensive boost to any lineup. And even with the injury-hampered season, 2025 was a productive year by many standards for the outfielder, who finished the regular season with 133 hits and 22 home runs, plus 25 stolen bases.
Tucker's consistency is also a key part of his appeal: Since 2020, when he became an every-day major-leaguer, he has posted an OPS above .800 across six seasons. That stat puts Tucker in elite company and makes him one of the most reliable batters in the league.
Category: General Sports
