The Los Angeles Dodgers have a difficult decision ahead as they prepare for the postseason, and it could mean a harsh end for a star offseason acquisition.
With All-Star reliever Edwin Diaz struggling to earn his way back into the bullpen following an injury, the team has indicated that he won’t be guaranteed a spot on the playoff roster.
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“All-Star closer Edwin Díaz continues to struggle, as Tanner Scott did a year ago, and his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City has gone poorly enough that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Monday the club could leave the three-time All-Star closer off the postseason roster,” Fabian Ardaya wrote for The Athletic.
That uncertainty creates an obvious question about another high-profile Dodgers addition who has struggled throughout his first season in Los Angeles: Kyle Tucker.
The four-time All-Star signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers during the offseason, but his production has fallen well short of what the team presumably expected when it made that investment.
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Though the Dodgers’ willingness to leave Diaz off of the postseason roster suggests the team is evaluating performance alone, Roberts sent a clear message about any upcoming roster decisions involving Tucker.
“I told him, I’m gonna ride or die with him,” Roberts said, according to the New York Post’s Jack Harris.
That commitment comes despite a season in which Tucker has produced a .226/.327/.374 slash line with 15 home runs and 66 RBI through 143 games, soliciting calls that he be benched or platooned, if not removed from the upcoming playoff roster altogether. His performance has also been dramatically different at home than it has been on the road. Tucker has hit .187 with a .572 OPS at Dodger Stadium, compared with a .266 average and .826 OPS away from home.
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That split adds another layer to the pressure surrounding Tucker as the Dodgers move toward the postseason.
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Roberts’ definitive commitment is particularly notable given how disappointing his first season has been relative to his contract.
“At this point, it is all adding up to a lost season for the 29-year-old, who is threatening to become one of the biggest free-agent flops in at least the sport’s recent high-priced history,” Harris added. “And yet, the Dodgers aren’t wavering from their commitment to keep playing the four-time All-Star, rolling the dice ‘talent level’ and ‘proven track record,’ as Roberts cited, by keeping him in the lineup for the long haul.”
That gives Tucker a clear path to remain part of the Dodgers’ postseason plans, even as the club evaluates other difficult roster decisions.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
