The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off several blockbuster signings during the MLB offseason at the expense of the New York Mets, who initially failed to retain one of their own stars and then had their most coveted free agent taken away in the MLB free agency market.
The Dodgers were a nightmare for the Mets
The first major blow came when Edwin Díaz opted out of his two-year, $38 million contract. He ultimately left New York to sign a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers in one of the biggest MLB free agency moves of the winter.
Later, Los Angeles landed Kyle Tucker, arguably the most sought-after free agent in MLB, on a record-breaking four-year, $240 million contract. The Mets had offered a similar mega-contract, while the Toronto Blue Jays were also heavily involved in the Tucker sweepstakes.
Now, Steve Cohen, the Mets owner, has openly admitted his disappointment over losing the Kyle Tucker free agency battle. However, the opportunity to sign Bo Bichette emerged almost immediately, helping the team pivot quickly in the MLB offseason market.
“Well the way I describe it is, when the news came down with Kyle, literally the body was still warm and we were getting calls from agents. Literally five minutes later. ‘I was like, “The body is still warm.”‘ Listen, I actually went to bed annoyed. ‘Oh, we didn’t get him.’ And then the agent for Bo called us right after and discussions started. You never know how they’re going to go. They moved really quickly,” Cohen said, per SportsNet New York.
According to multiple reports, the Mets’ offer to Kyle Tucker was a four-year, $220 million contract. It included $60 million annual salaries in 2026 and 2027 and $50 million in 2028 and 2029. While the proposal did not include deferred money, it featured a $75 million signing bonus and opt-out clauses after the second and third seasons.
In contrast, the Kyle Tucker Dodgers contract includes a $64 million signing bonus and $30 million in deferred salary. The All-Star outfielder also holds opt-out rights after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
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