Central Plains FFA Chapter

01/15 21:27 CST Kyle Tucker agrees to a $240 million, 4-year contract with the World Series champion Dodgers Kyle Tucker agrees to a $240 million, 4-year contract with the World Series champion Dodgers By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer Kyle Tucker has agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a person familiar with the deal, bolstering the franchise's chance for a third consecutive World Series championship. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. Tucker's $60 million average annual value would be the second-highest in baseball history, not factoring discounting, behind Shohei Ohtani's $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2033. When healthy, Tucker is among the best all-around players in the majors. But the outfielder has played in just 214 regular-season games over the past two years. He batted .266 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs with the Chicago Cubs last season. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Houston in December 2024 that moved slugging prospect Cam Smith to the Astros. Tucker was slowed by a pair of injuries in his lone season with the Cubs. He sustained a small fracture in his right hand on an awkward slide against Cincinnati on June 1. He also strained his left calf against Atlanta on Sept. 2. After getting off to a fast start with his new team, Tucker hit just .231 with five homers in 41 games after the All-Star break. He served as Chicago's designated hitter in the playoffs as the Cubs eliminated San Diego in the first round before losing to Milwaukee in a five-game NL Division Series. Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday, rejected a $22,025,000 qualifying offer in November, so his new deal means the Cubs will get a compensatory draft pick. Tucker was selected by Houston with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 amateur draft. He played in three World Series with the Astros, winning a ring in 2022. He hit at least 29 homers and drove in at least 92 runs for three straight seasons from 2021-23. He won a Gold Glove in 2022 and led the AL with 112 RBIs in 2023. He was limited to 78 games in his final season with Houston because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs. The Tampa, Florida, native is a .273 hitter with 147 homers, 490 RBIs and an .865 OPS in 769 career games. He also has 119 steals in 135 attempts. ___ AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB