Dodgers' MLB Draft penalties are very real after Kyle Tucker signing (but who cares)

Of the three finalists for Kyle Tucker, no one thought the Dodgers were that serious. The Mets had their short-term, $50 million AAV out there, and the Blue Jays were willing to go long-term. In the days leading up to Tucker's decision, fans in New York and Toronto were yelling at each other on Twitter about who was more likely to get him (or coping early because they thought the other would get him), while LA fans sort of just ... shrugged. If we get him, we get him.

But the Dodgers upped their offer by $20 million to top the Mets, and now Tucker's headed to LA. The Dodgers have only made four offseason signings so far, but one of them was the top free agent reliever and the other is ... the top free agent. It's been a slow winter in LA, but who can complain when the highs are this high?

Tucker and Edwin Díaz both come with the same caveat: they turned down the qualifying offer from the Cubs and Mets before officially entering free agency. By signing them, LA will lose a staggering four draft picks (their second, third, fifth, and sixth highest selections) in 2026.

Dodgers will lose four 2026 MLB Draft picks after Kyle Tucker, Edwin Díaz signings

The question is, of course: how much do the Dodgers actually care?

The Dodgers haven't had a top-15 pick since 2008. They haven't had a top-20 pick since 2013. They didn't have a first-round pick at all in 2022. Their first two picks in 2025 came in the compensation rounds. But the Dodgers still have the No. 1 farm system in baseball.

It just speaks to how the organization operates at a baseline of excellence from top to bottom. Their scouting and player development allow them to identify more underrated talent in every draft class and save some money even if they sign them to overslot deals, and they still manage to turn them into top prospects.

And if those top prospects don't end up working out? They have the money and the allure to sign players to $60 million AAV contracts with all the bells and whistles.

LA's long-term deal strategy does have its drawbacks — there are top prospects both on the 40-man and higher up in the system who don't have a clear path to the majors with the Dodgers — but the front office can't be all too upset about that when they have Guggenheim Investment's credit card.