This player becomes prime Dodgers roster casualty if LA signs Kyle Tucker

Over the last 48 hours or so, baseball has been holding its breath waiting for Kyle Tucker to make a decision that could end his free agency. The Mets reportedly offered him a short-term deal worth $50 million a year on Tuesday, which surely led to the Blue Jays and Dodgers — the other two finalists — to scramble behind the scenes. Toronto supposedly has a long-term offer on the table, and the Dodgers are still just sort of ... hanging around.

Insiders were convinced that Tucker would make a decision on Wednesday, and then they were convinced again on Thursday. He still has yet to make a decision, but he almost certainly has three unique offers in front of him right now.

It seems incredibly unlikely the Dodgers would give Tucker $50 million a year, even though they're also hoping he'll accept a short-term contract, but they have a far more potent argument as to why he should come to LA than the Mets have as to why he should go to Queens.

The Dodgers seem to be losing ground here, but if they do win this particular rat race, it'll force a roster crunch that will almost certainly leave Alex Call out in the cold.

Alex Call will probably be the odd man out if Dodgers sign Kyle Tucker

The Dodgers don't have a lot of outfield depth as it is, especially because they don't know if/when Tommy Edman will be ready to go, or if he'll be able to handle all of the running on the grass, when he's fully recovered from an offseason ankle surgery. Call has far more experience than Hyeseong Kim, who'll also probably be riding the bench for most of the season, but Kim has more defensive flexibility — and he's owed more money.

Call, LA's James Outman replacement, was a nice trade deadline pickup, and the Dodgers didn't have to give up that much to get him, but it's hard to see how he keeps his place on the roster if the Dodgers choose to prioritize Kim.

He agreed with the Dodgers on a $1.6 million salary for 2026 to avoid arbitration, his first year of eligibility. He's affordable, the Dodgers probably wouldn't ask too much for him in a trade, and he'd probably get more playing time elsewhere.

And, of course, if the roster replacement is Tucker, it'll be hard for Dodgers fans to miss Call much.