The Los Angeles Dodgers are spending an incredible amount of money to keep their winning streak alive. On Thursday night they agreed to a massive four year deal with star outfielder Kyle Tucker worth two hundred and forty million dollars. This contract makes him one of the highest paid players in the history of the sport. He will earn sixty million dollars every single year which is more than almost any other position player in baseball.
While Dodgers fans are thrilled some experts are wondering if the team paid too much. People are comparing his new salary to the deal Aaron Judge has with the New York Yankees. Judge is widely considered one of the best hitters ever and he only makes forty million dollars a year. This means the Dodgers are paying Tucker twenty million dollars more per season than the Yankees pay their biggest superstar.
Data shows that Judge provided way more value to his team last year than Tucker did. Using a special math formula one analyst calculated that Judge was worth over eighty million dollars to the Yankees while Tucker was worth about thirty-six million. Because Tucker struggled with some injuries and had a lower batting average critics think his new price tag is a bit high. They believe the Yankees actually have a much better bargain with their star player.
The Dodgers do not seem to mind the high cost because they are chasing a third straight championship. They have built an incredible lineup that is now filled with expensive superstars. If Tucker helps them win another World Series the owners will probably feel the money was well spent. For now the rest of the league is watching to see if this huge gamble actually pays off on the field.
