It's funny how Kyle Tucker's situation doesn't compare to Giants, Padres fumbles

It’s no secret that Kyle Tucker has performed under his general standard this season. He currently carries his worst WAR mark (1.0) since his second season in 2019, when he played in just 22 games.

Several of his other numbers are the lowest since that year as well, including slugging percentage (.384) and OPS (.721). So far, the math just isn’t mathing for a man who’s taking up $57 million of the team’s payroll in 2026 as part of his four-year, $240 million contract. Still, although the Dodgers may not be getting the best bang for the buck as of late June, Tucker’s deal is not close to some of their division rivals as far as disappointments go.

Dodgers are in a much better position with Tucker than the Giants and Padres are with their stars

The biggest reason for this is the Dodgers’ massive payroll. LA a projected $397 million payroll according to Fangraphs, outpacing the Mets by nearly $30 million for highest in the league. 

And thanks to the deferred salaries of players like Shohei Ohtani and now Tucker, the squad has been able to aggressively pursue big-name stars in nearly every offseason. Other teams don't have that luxury ... including two residing in the Dodgers' division. When it comes to names like Manny Machado and Rafael Devers, their contributions compared to their cap hit looks much worse than Tucker’s.

Devers, who inked a 10-year, $313.5 million deal with the Red Sox shortly before his trade to the Giants, has a salary that accounts for nearly 15% of his team’s payroll. Machado’s, on the other hand, sits closer to 12%. Those teams don't have the flexibility to navigate such a financial commitment.

What’s more, the Dodgers are asking far less of Tucker than the other two franchises require from their stars. Devers was acquired to be the guy in the heart of the Giants’ order for the next decade. To be a clubhouse leader. To provide power from the left side of the plate. And so far he hasn't been that, leaving the Giants with feasily way out. Meanwhile, the absolute worst-case scenario is that the Dodgers are stuck with Tucker for another three years.

Perhaps the leadership portion of the equation should have been in question during the Devers trade discussions with Boston’s brass about his primary position. And when you’re publicly at odds with superiors as much as he’s been (see his pinch-running ordeal as the latest piece of evidence in that trend), things can begin to sour quickly.

Personality clashes can be easier to justify when juxtaposed against consistent production. But Devers has not offered that. Like Tucker, Devers is striking out more and walking less. He's seen drastic drops in his on-base percentage, OPS and OPS+ numbers. He also profiles more as a DH than anytihng.

Machado, meanwhile, comprises half of the Padres’ one-two punch expected to carry their lineup, along with Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis, who has had his own shortcomings. Machado's performance has been particularly unforgiving, however.

Machado is hitting just .186 with an 82 OPS+. His strikeout rate (25.2%) is a career high, while he has a batting run value of -5. The Padres are squarely in the Wild Card race with a host of other NL clubs, but it's unclear how long that will last. Not to mention, Machado, 33, has SEVEN years left on his deal.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have remained dominant. They’ve had a winning record in every month of the season, and are 11 games ahead of San Diego in the NL West.

Sure, Tucker’s impact has been well below expectations. It's hard to justify the price LA paid for him. But it's not even the worst contract in the division — not even close.

Plus, he joined a club that already possessed baseball’s best lineup, with guys like Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages to hide some of his inconsistencies. And if he follows the trend of his Houston tenure, he’ll kick things into another gear as the end of the season draws near. Advantage, Dodgers as far as big-money moves in the NL West are concerned.

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