I believe Kyle Tucker should be, maybe will be, the most hated player in Major League Baseball.

Choosing to sign with the back-to-back defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers when you had several other contenders – including both MLB teams I cheer for – is the epitome of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

I know, I know, the Dodgers offered the most money in the form of a four-year, $240 million megadeal with a $64M signing bonus, but how much money do you really need?

Instead of choosing to put the relatively stacked and fun-loving Toronto Blue Jays over the edge, Tucker went to the Dodgers. Apparently, according to unconfirmed reports, the Jays were willing to offer a longer-term deal well beyond four years in the $300 million range.

Instead of hitting the bright lights, big city crowds in New York to play for the Mets – an underdog in their own town – Tucker went to the Dodgers.

According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets’ offered a four-year contract worth $220 million with a $75 million signing bonus – $11 million more than the Dodgers.

The Mets offer was better in terms of immediate finances, and the Jays offer was reportedly better in terms of length of contract and overall finances.

So, the best team in baseball got the best free agent in baseball and two contenders were shunned.

Everyone else in the MLB is now wondering just what they’ll need to do to compete with the Dodgers. The Jays, Mets, and other teams in that tier will need to quickly find new arms and new bats if they want a real shot at a World Series.

The worst part for the Jays is they were oh, so close in 2025. Painstakingly so. And now, the Dodgers have outbid them for another high-end free agent. The first was baseball’s GOAT Shohei Ohtani, then Roki Sasaki, and now Tucker.

A true competitor would have gone with one of the up-and-coming teams and put them over the edge. A real man would have wanted to take on the champs to dethrone them.

But, not Tucker. Rather than becoming the man by beating the man (thank you Ric Flair), he took the whole to heart. And for that, he should be the most hated man in the MLB world moving forward.

That’s it for me! Ciao for Now!