Fresh off sweeping the Brewers in the NLCS to reach their second straight World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are already laying groundwork for another aggressive offseason. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers are expected to pursue star outfielder Kyle Tucker once free agency opens following the Fall Classic.
It’s a familiar script for Los Angeles, which routinely enters the market for the game’s biggest names. The front office won bidding wars for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto two winters ago, and even after missing on Juan Soto last offseason, the Dodgers reloaded with Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Tanner Scott.
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Dodgers Rumors: Tucker Could Fill LA’s Outfield Void
Vote For Your Favorite Dodgers Duo: Ohtani – Yamamoto, Betts – Freeman, Hernandez – Hernandez
Despite their dominance, outfield production has been one of the few soft spots on this year’s roster. Andy Pages has emerged as a steady contributor, but Teoscar Hernández regressed, and Michael Conforto’s disappointing 83 wRC+ led to his exclusion from the postseason roster. With Conforto hitting free agency, there’s a clear opening Tucker could fill.
A four-time All-Star, Tucker has slashed .277/.365/.514 (143 wRC+) across the past five seasons. After a midseason trade to the Cubs, he posted a strong first half before injuries slowed him down. Even with a drop in power production, Heyman notes that Tucker could still command $300–400 million. Given that LA’s payroll is expected to fall from $395 million to $329 million next year, the Dodgers could absorb such a contract with relative ease.
Dodgers Rumors: Another Japanese Star on the Radar
Los Angeles is also among the favorites to sign Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, one of the top free agents available this winter. Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter predicts a 10-year, $220 million deal for the 25-year-old third baseman, who has hit 265 home runs with an .944 OPS over eight NPB seasons.
As Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report observed, “Since 2019, Murakami has clubbed 247 home runs… a rate identical to Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.” He compared Murakami’s power profile to a “younger Hideki Matsui.”
Adding Murakami could mean parting ways with veteran Max Muncy, whose $10 million club option remains a bargain. Yet with Ohtani and Yamamoto already thriving in Los Angeles, another star from Japan joining the Dodgers’ dynasty feels almost inevitable.
