Why Dodgers Aren't Panicking Over Their $60-million Bet On Kyle Tucker

NEW YORK — He is baseball’s invisible man.

Remember erstwhile nan Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker? The prophets of punishment wailed. The Dodgers had opened Pandora’s box, and retired would alert a lockout, a pall of fume complete their games, and a plague of locusts.

The net headdress connection was coming anyway. The Dodgers did play done wildfire fume astatine Yankee Stadium past Friday. No locusts, astatine slightest not yet.

But nary 1 foretold that nan prima to whom nan Dodgers agreed past wintertime to salary an mean of $60 cardinal each twelvemonth would be, well, average.

Over nan first half of nan season, Tucker’s OPS+ was 100, making him a subordinate defined by that metric arsenic “league average.”

He is batting .240, 30 points beneath his profession average. He is connected gait for full-season profession lows successful location runs (11) and OPS (.702).

His WAR is 0.9, beneath nan 1.3 of Tyler Glasnow. By that metric, Tucker has contributed little to nan Dodgers’ occurrence this play than Glasnow, who has sounded successful 7 of nan team’s first 100 games.

Hardly anyone extracurricular Los Angeles has noticed, and hardly anyone successful Los Angeles has gotten each worked up astir it.

“I admit that our instrumentality base, compared to immoderate others, gives a batch much grace to players,” Dodgers head Dave Roberts said. “And I cognize he sees that arsenic well.”

Here is what Tucker’s tests person costs nan Dodgers: Absolutely nothing.

He had 2 hits, some singles, successful 13 at-bats arsenic his squad won nan play bid against nan New York Yankees. The Dodgers stay nan owners of nan champion grounds successful nan awesome leagues.

Tucker’s four-year contract, lucrative arsenic it is, was not accompanied by a withering spotlight. He does not request to assistance his squad into nan postseason, a load often borne by marquee free agents signed to put their squad complete nan top.

With nan Dodgers?

Shohei Ohtani is nan look of baseball. Freddie Freeman’s boy walked astir nan All-Star Game successful a T-shirt that publication “My Dad Has 2,500 Hits.”

Mookie Betts past played present arsenic a World Series-winning, Gold Glove-winning correct fielder; he returned arsenic a World Series-winning, Gold Glove-caliber shortstop.

“I deliberation it surely helps being astir a batch of different guys who person precocious expectations,” Roberts said.

Neither rainfall nor fume nor power tin support nan Dodgers from their appointed October rounds. They request Tucker to prosper then.

Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker singles during nan 2nd inning against nan New York Yankees connected Friday.

(Caleb Bowlin / Getty Images)

“Obviously, we each want to play good each year,” Betts said. “It’s not for illustration we’re kicking nan tin and cipher cares. Even then, we’d emotion to beryllium fresh successful October.

“It’s really conscionable astir playing. You ne'er know. You could person a awesome October and get 1 hit, and it could beryllium nan biggest hit.”

Said Tucker: “Everyone present is very talented. Everyone is present to thief each different out. Everyone present conscionable wants to get backmost to different World Series, and triumph it. So I’m trying to do my portion and conscionable play baseball.”

He insists he is not weighted down by nan outer expectations that travel his contract.

“I deliberation that’s nan beauty of it, nan point that’s refreshing,” Betts said. “I don’t deliberation he cares astir immoderate of that. He conscionable wants to play good and do his point and thief nan boys.

“I don’t deliberation he really cares astir nan expectations.”

You whitethorn deliberation “$60 million” erstwhile he comes to nan plate. He does not.

“I try, sloppy of what my business is,” Tucker said. “Sometimes it useful out. Sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve conscionable sewage to effort and do better.”

His strikeouts are up importantly this season. His bat velocity is down slightly. His difficult interaction complaint is down significantly.

He’s moving connected fixing his swing. He’s been moving connected it. He’ll support moving connected it.

Roberts said nan value of Tucker’s at-bats person looked amended complete nan past mates weeks, moreover if nan results whitethorn not show it.

“The point that I’ve appreciated since Day 1 is, he hasn’t tally from his struggles,” Roberts said. “He’s owned it.”

Tucker made nan All-Star Game successful each of nan 4 years preceding this one. The Dodgers are betting his level of capacity will astatine slightest attack that successful nan 2nd half.

Betts said he does not spot thing circumstantial to interest astir pinch Tucker.

“I don’t spot thing astatine all,” Betts said. “He’s a competitor. He’s already travel done a bunch during nan year. It’s not for illustration he’s not doing anything.

“He’s not hitting .330 pinch 30 [home runs], for illustration we each would dream we were doing, right? But, arsenic a team, we’re doing OK.”

For now, nan Dodgers are. Their existent play starts successful a small much than 2 months.

From Tucker, nan accountability is appreciated. Production would beryllium better.