Kyle Tucker on his first day in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. (Photo Credit/Getty Images)
Over the past couple weeks, we have seen a huge free agent acquisition and trades from some big teams. Some were shocks and some were no brainers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Possibly the biggest signing in this offseason was the Dodgers acquisition of right fielder Kyle Tucker. He received a massive 4-year $240 million contract. The amount of money the Dodgers are throwing around is insane and the 2027 MLB lockout is all but imminent.
Tucker played for the Chicago Cubs last season and did not play well enough for the Cubs to try to extend him. The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner batted .266 with a slugging percentage of .464, one of the lowest of his career. His performance post all-star break was subpar, but the Dodgers still paid top dollar for the Florida native.
Several other teams pursued Tucker in the offseason, such as the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. According to an article by The Athletic, several MLB owners are reportedly outraged by the signing of Kyle Tucker and will be pushing for a salary cap during the next CBA negotiations in 2027. The Dodgers dominance will likely continue into the 2026 season.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a 5-year $175 million contract, showing the Cubs will be attempting to be competitive once again this season.
Bregman, who won a Gold Glove in 2024, had a good season with the Red Sox last year. He batted .273 in 114 games with 18 home runs. The Cubs already have one of the best defenses in baseball with several Gold Glovers such as Pete-Crow Armstrong, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ. Adding Bregman at third base only makes the Cubs defense more impenetrable.
New York Mets
The Mets are no strangers to big spending in the offseason. In a trade between the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets, Freddy Peralta alongside Tobias Myers were sent to Queens for prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sporat. The Mets have needed an ace of a pitcher and they found him in Peralta. Peralta was a big key in the Brewers dominant division-winning 2025 season. The Dominican Republic native had an ERA of 2.70, his lowest of his career.
Bo Bichette, who just came off of the Toronto Blue Jays run to the World Series, signed a three year $126 million deal with the Mets. The shortstop was stellar at the plate last season, batting .311. The Mets also acquired center-fielder Luis Robert Jr from the Chicago White Sox for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley. After the embarrassment of missing the playoffs last year despite their large payroll, perhaps this is the year for the Mets.
