Free agent market could be softening and allow Dodgers to do the unthinkable

Suddenly, the stars may be aligning for the Los Angeles Dodgers to have the offseason that fans have grown used to. The Dodgers already turned heads at the Winter Meetings, signing All-Star closer Edwin Díaz when most thought they needed to trim payroll first, and they now may be plotting to swipe away the Toronto Blue Jays' top free-agent target.

For someone who entered the offseason as the perceived top free agent, it's been a quiet winter for All-Star Kyle Tucker. In part, that is tied to how his 2025 season ended with the Chicago Cubs.

At the start of the year, it seemed that Tucker was earmarked for a contract worth at least $400 million, but his final two months in Chicago saw him stubbornly try to play through a hand injury, which ignited a prolonged offensive slump. And during the final weeks of the season, one where the Cubs were angling for a playoff spot, the veteran outfielder left the team in favor of his own training staff in Tampa Bay to rehab a calf injury.

Kyle Tucker's strange market is setting up perfectly for the Los Angeles Dodgers to swoop in

It was such a strange ending that the Cubs want no part of Tucker's sweepstakes this offseason. While that certainly could be tied to Chicago's overall approach with spending, Tucker's awkward second half seems to validate their desire to stay away.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia Phillies, rumored to be potential suitor for Tucker, chose to sign Adolis Garcia on a buy-low deal instead of pursuing Tucker. Even teams like the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants seem more enamored with Cody Bellinger than the National League Silver Slugger.

It seems that Toronto is the only team that could be willing to sign Tucker to lucrative long-term contract but the fact they haven't done so already, could suggest the $400 million deal simply isn't on the table this offseason.

The situation sets up perfectly for the Dodgers, who have been lurking in the background for Tucker this offseason. Recent reports suggest that Tucker could be interested in a short-term deal like the one Alex Bregman signed last offseason with the Boston Red Sox —fewer years, higher AAV, opt-out clauses. If that's the case, Los Angeles should be the prime suitor, and there wouldn't be much strain on their payroll outlook.

At the start of the offseason, it seemed like a pipe dream to suggest Díaz and Tucker could wind up in Los Angeles. Now, the scenario seems to get likelier with each passing day.