Ex-MLB Star Claims Kyle Tucker Really Wanted to Go Sign with Blue Jays Before Dodgers’ $240 Million Offer

Kyle Tucker joined the Los Angeles Dodgers last week on a 4-year, $240 million deal, making him the latest big name to join the NL West side.

Ex-MLB Star Claims Kyle Tucker Really Wanted to Go Sign with Blue Jays Before Dodgers’ $240 Million Offer

Kyle Tucker (Image via X/@TalkinBaseball_)

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Last week, Kyle Tucker stunned the MLB world by joining the Los Angeles Dodgers on a $240 million deal. According to an ex-MLB star, he first wanted to go and sign with the Toronto Blue Jays before the two-time defending champions came in with an offer.

After spending one season with the Chicago Cubs, the outfielder became a free agent. He would turn down the qualifying offer from the NL Central side and explore free agency.

Following a slow start to this, it picked up pace last week. Along with the Dodgers, the Blue Jays and the New York Mets were reported to be one of the favorites to land his signature.

In the end, he joined the Dodgers. The 4-time MLB All-Star signed a massive 4-year, $240 million deal and became the latest big name to join the Los Angeles-based side.

The Mets were reported to have offered him a 4-year, $220 million deal. This would have seen him earn $60 million in 2026 and 2027 and then earning $50 million in the last two years of his deal.

Former MLB star Whit Merrifield recently expressed that Tucker really wanted to go to Toronto and join the Blue Jays. As per him, the Canadian outfit was prepared to offer him a 10-year, $350 million deal, with him earning $35 million per year. However, this offer was unable to land him.

His agent texted me and was like, ‘Hey, Kyle really wanted to go to Toronto.’ The Jays offered him ten years for ($350 million), which ended up coming out… Toronto just wasn’t willing to do more than ($35 million) a year… Toronto felt that his value was ($35 million) a year for ten years, which is an incredible offer. The Dodgers came in and said about ($60 million) a year. It’s hard to say no to that.

Whit Merrifield said regarding Kyle Tucker on 6ix Inning Stretch

In the 2025 season, Tucker hit 22 home runs and 73 RBIs while batting with a .266/.377/.464 slash line in 136 regular-season games.

MLB owners were reportedly left raging following Kyle Tucker’s deal with Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers once again made a huge statement in the offseason by adding Kyle Tucker to their team. Following his signing, MLB owners across the league were left furious.

Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker (Image via Instagram/@dodgers)

In the past few years, the Dodgers have many times found themselves being criticized by others for their spending. Several fans have accused them of “ruining baseball” by spending a huge amount of money on players.

According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, the owners were left “raging” after Tucker joined the Dodgers. They are now expected to push for the salary cap once the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) comes to an end.

Major League Baseball owners are “raging” in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s free agency agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and it is now “a 100 percent certainty” that the owners will push for a salary cap.

Evan Drellich said in his report

The MLB is the only Big 4 league in the United States that does not have a salary cap. With the Tucker deal, there are chances that this feature could soon make it way into baseball.

Dodgers will pay Kyle Tucker just $1 million in salary in 2026

Kyle Tucker’s 4-year, $240 million deal is the second biggest deal as per the Average Annual Value (AAV) at $60 million. Despite this, the Dodgers will only pay him $1 million this year.

Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker (Image via MLB)

The team had deferred $30 million of his salary. Instead of giving him a high salary for this year, the Dodgers will balance the books by giving him a $1 million salary.

Tucker, however, will receive $64 million as a signing bonus. As per reports, the 9-time World Series winners will pay him $54 million by February 15. Then next year, they will give him the remaining $10 million by February 1.

As for his salary, he will receive $55 million next year. After that, he will have $60 million player options for the 2028 and 2029 season.

So, despite the Dodgers having two of the biggest deals as per AAV in Kyle Tucker and Shohei Ohtani ($70 million), they will only pay a total of $3 million combined to these two stars. As of now, the team has over $2.11 billion in deferred payments.

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