Projecting Dodgers' 2026 lineup and payroll if they sign Kyle Tucker

It's beginning to look like there are three primary suitors in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes. The Toronto Blue Jays have been the loudest in terms of expressing their interest, but the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers lurk.

While the Blue Jays are believed to be more open to a long-term deal with the star outfielder, it's become increasingly likely that he'll be forced to settle for a short-term, high-AAV deal. That's got the Dodgers licking their chops, as landing him in such a fashion is their dream scenario.

Imagine for a minute that the stars align and he lands in Los Angeles on such a deal. What would it look like? How would it impact the Dodgers' payroll? And most importantly, what would LA's ideal lineup look like? Let's dive in.

How the Dodgers' payroll and lineup would look if they signed Kyle Tucker

Let's take a look at the potential contract first. CBS Sports' Mike Axisa put together a breakdown of recent stars to sign these sorts of contracts and came to the conclusion that Alex Bregman is the best comp for Tucker. Like Bregman, Tucker excels on both sides of the ball, which is what netted Bregman a $40 million AAV. Axisa posits that Tucker could get up to $45 million, as he is arguably the better overall player.

A three-year, $135 million contract with an opt-out after 2027 could work here. The opt-out after year two protects Tucker in case of an adverse situation when the CBA comes up this December, and the opt-out allows him to re-enter the market once the dust has settled on whatever new rules labor negotiations might bring. Another concession Los Angeles must make is no deferred money. This way, Tucker gets paid without having to wait, and we have an easy payroll calculation.

FanGraphs roster resource estimates the Dodgers' 2026 payroll to be at $354 million, down from the $396 million they had to end 2025. If we add Tucker's $45 million, we get $399 million, just a hair over last year.

It's somewhat stunning that Los Angeles could theoretically add a player of Tucker's caliber and still end up with roughly the same expenditure as last year.

Now, let's take a look at the Dodgers' projected lineup.

Looking at it this way, you can see just how stacked the Dodgers truly are. Typically, Tucker would be firmly planted in the top four of a lineup, but two reasons push him down to the five-hole here.

First is maintaining the lefty-righty balance. That means the only spots Tucker could fit would be lead-off or third. But you want Ohtani to get as many at-bats as possible –– and unless Freeman declines, his career .300 average and .386 on-base percentage make him a higher priority than Tucker, who comes in at .273 and .358 in those same metrics.

Signing Tucker would give the Dodgers an absolute murderer's row, and the payroll implications show how much more of an impact they could potentially buy simply by allocating their dollars to one or two big splashes as opposed to several mid-level moves like Michael Conforto and Kirby Yates last season. The only thing left to do now is to wait and see if it becomes a reality.