SAN JOSE - The Los Angeles Dodgers were having a quiet offseason by their lofty standards. Then, they set the baseball world on fire. Again. On Thursday evening, news broke that the Dodgers agreed to a four-year, $240 million pact with four-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. Even with deferrals, Tucker's average annual value of $57.1 million becomes the highest in MLB history, shattering the record that Juan Soto ($51 million) set last season.
"Any team that exceeds the base luxury-tax threshold for three or more consecutive years pays a 50 percent penalty for every dollar it goes above," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote. "Any team that exceeds the base threshold by $60 million or more pays an additional 60 percent surcharge. "The Los Angeles Dodgers qualify on both counts, so their penalty for signing Tucker or any of the other remaining free agents would be 110 percent. At a $40 million AAV, Tucker would cost them $84 million. At a $35 million AAV, the number would be a mere $73.5 million."
The Los Angeles Dodgers have already named Edwin Díaz as their unquestioned closer after signing the veteran reliever to a record-breaking contract in free agency. The Dodgers haven't had a dedicated closer since Kenley Jansen in 2021, as even Tanner Scott was not fully granted that opportunity upon signing last season. General manager Brandon Gomes said at the time that Scott would get plenty of save opportunities but stopped short of naming him the team's set closer to begin the 2025 season.
New Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Edwin Diaz was unveiled less than a week ago. However, he has already been named the closer for the upcoming season by the president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman. The Dodgers have clear bullpen issues heading into the upcoming season, and a hole at the closer spot, making it a no-doubt proposition that he will take the ball to close out games.
Díaz had already received two contract offers -- one of three years from the Los Angeles Dodgers and another of five years from the Atlanta Braves. Díaz, though miffed by the Mets not alerting him before signing free agent reliever Devin Williams a few days before, still wanted to wait for an offer from his longtime team, sources told ESPN.
A little over 11 months ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a major move in free agency, bringing in closer Tanner Scott on a four-year, $72 million deal to shore up their bullpen. One season later, the Dodgers acquired one of the best relievers on the open market in Edwin Diaz due to their bullpen woes, mainly led by Scott's performance or lack thereof.
The first thing I said to him was, 'You're going to sign with the Dodgers, right?'...I sat there for the entire two-hour event and talked up the Dodgers to him the whole time. I don't know if I had a hand in it or not, but I like to say that I was one of the first ones to go heavy and hard after him that he should be a Dodger.
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signing of Edwin Diaz on Friday, who agreed to a three-year, $69 million deal. Moreover, the team held a press conference to introduce their new star closer, who explained the reason behind his decision to sign with the team and leave his former squad, the New York Mets. Also, he explained his decision on his number: it will not be the No. 39 he wore with the Mets, but instead No. 3.
