Kyle Tucker’s signature: owners will do everything they can to get a salary cap

All was quiet this winter before Kyle Tucker signed a whopping four-year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, following a similar offer from the New York Mets and a long-term pact offer from the Toronto Blue Jays.

We're talking here about an annual value of $60 million for a star outfielder, but nowhere near the Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge of this world. Yes, yes, $60 million a year…

And not only did this signing break the logjam on the free agent market, it also solidified MLB owners' desire to stand up for a salary cap, according to what Evan Drelich of The Athletic suggests.

“A 100 percent certainty” that the owners will push for a salary cap in wake of Kyle Tucker deal with the Dodgers, ownership source says.

“These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes.”https://t.co/oQKUt3X89F

– Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) January 20, 2026

There's 100% certainty that owners will push for a salary cap following Kyle Tucker's deal with the Dodgers, according to an ownership source. These guys are going for a cap no matter what it takes.

Frustration with the Dodgers' astronomical spending continues to grow, and their high average annual value deal with Tucker seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back for the owners.

Sure, there's still a full season left before the current collective bargaining agreement expires, but all signs point to Major League Baseball and the Players' Association heading for a lockout.

And it could be a long time before we see the grass again, because both during negotiations for the current agreement and in preparation for future discussions, Players' Association Executive Director Tony Clark has made it clear that the union considers a salary cap to be a non-option.

And with everything the players have done to get to where they are now, there won't be one.

This content was created with the help of AI.