Los Angeles Dodgers Expected To Pursue Free Agent Outfielder Kyle Tucker
After an injury-plagued 2025 season for the Chicago Cubs, Outfielder Kyle Tucker is headed into free agency, and the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be ready to pursue him. The outfield has been one of the few weak spots for the Dodgers this season, as L.A. chases its second straight championship. The team hopes that Tucker will address that need in 2026 and beyond.
The Dodgers Have a Need In the Outfield
As Los Angeles prepares for the 2025 World Series, the team’s front office is already looking at ways to improve for 2026. The team hoped that they had addressed their outfield issues last offseason with the addition of Michael Conforto and the re-signing of Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez took a step back in 2025, but still put up 25 home runs and 89 RBI this season in 134 games.
He has picked it up in the postseason, hitting .268 with 4 homers and 11 RBI in 10 games. Conforto, however, was a disaster. After several productive years with the New York Mets, the veteran lefty slugger hit only .199 with 12 homers and 36 RBI in 138 games.
The Dodgers ended up playing veteran utilityman Enrique Hernandez in left during the postseason. Hernandez has always been a clutch postseason performer, and this season was no different. His regular-season numbers, though, were similar to Conforto’s: .203 batting average, 10 homers, and 35 RBI in 93 games. With 24-year-old Andy Pages excelling in centerfield, L.A. will definitely need to add a corner outfielder heading into 2026.
Enter Kyle Tucker
Tucker had a subpar season for him, but even playing with a broken hand for nearly three months, he put up solid numbers. The lefty earned his fourth All-Star appearance after a hot start and finished with 22 homers, 73 RBI, 91 runs, 87 walks, and 25 stolen bases in 136 games. When healthy, Tucker is a Gold Glove outfielder with the ability to hit 30 homers, steal 30 bases, and drive in 100 runs, while striking out less than 100 times.
He is a five-tool player with tons of postseason experience who is also a good clubhouse guy–and the Dodgers have taken notice. Insider Jon Heyman reported the team’s interest late Saturday on X (Twitter):
https://t.co/VHsBgHsHmk Dodgers expected to pursue Kyle Tucker: 1. They like him 2. OF is the least of their strengths 3. Presumably they have $ left after pursuing Soto 4. Of course they do.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 18, 2025
Final Thoughts
Tucker would be a perfect fit for Los Angeles. He checks all the boxes, and as Heyman points out, the Dodgers are willing to spend the money that the Ricketts family in Chicago is not. Tucker could be plugged in anywhere in the team’s lineup. He has the speed and high on-base percentage to hit at the top, and the power and ability to hit for a decent average to be an anchor in the middle.
On a team full of potential Hall of Famers like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, Tucker won’t have the pressure of being the top guy. He should excel if he does indeed land there.
