Dodgers absurd Kyle Tucker contract reinforces Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez bargain

After the Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240-million contract, it's becoming more and more clear how much of a bargain Julio Rodríguez is for the Mariners. His contract, in comparison to Tucker's, looks like one of the best in baseball.

In case you need a refresher on Rodríguez's contract, let's take a look at it.

Rodríguez signed a 12-year, $210 million extension with the Mariners during his rookie year in 2022. The contract is full of MVP-voting-based incentives that would grow his base salary and potentially add as many as more years onto the contract.

Mariners' Julio Rodríguez just keeps looking better and better

The way the deal is structured, the Mariners will need to make a decision on a club option after the 2028 season, which would keep Rodríguez in Seattle for either eight or 10 more years. Initially, that option was for eight years, $200 million, but because Rodríguez has finished within the top-10 in MVP voting three times, it has increased to $240 million.

If Rodríguez adds a fourth top-10 MVP finish, that number grows to $260 million. Two more top-five finishes or one MVP win would cost the Mariners $280 million, and if Rodríguez manages to win the award twice, or finish in the top-five three more seasons, he would be owed $350 million over 10 years.

No matter how you slice it, this is a bargain of a contract.

For starters, Rodríguez is only being paid $60.3 million over the next three seasons. Compare that to Tucker, who is being paid $60 million per year by the Dodgers.

From there, at the current value of the club option, $240 million over eight years come out to $30 million per year. Still much more affordable than Tucker's contract, and Rodríguez would be entering his age-28 season when that option kicks in. Tucker is entering his age-29 season.

Even if Rodríguez ends up making the $350 contract, it's still much cheaper on an annual basis than what the Dodgers are paying Tucker. $350 million over 10 years comes out to $35 million per year. And as inflation grows, that would still probably be considered a huge bargain by 2030.

Clearly, Rodríguez is cheaper than Tucker, but could that simply be because Tucker is a better player than Rodríguez? Let's take a look at the numbers.

Rodríguez has been worth 22.9 bWAR since 2022, compared to Tucker, whose been worth 20.2 bWAR in the same timespan. Neither have won an MVP and both have a single top-5 MVP finish, both in 2023.

Rodríguez has scored 53 more runs, hit seven more doubles, and hit eight more home runs. He has played in 69 more games than Tucker, so taking that into account, those counting numbers would probably be almost identical in the same amount of games. They've both driven in 341 runs, and Rodriguez has stolen 25 more bases. Their batting averages of .274 and .272 are nearly identical.

Tucker does hold an advantage in OPS, with an .868 OPS compared to Rodríguez, at .800. However, Rodríguez's baserunning and defense make up for the gap in OPS.

Judging from the numbers, you could argue for either player. Tucker is better offensively, but not by much. Rodríguez plays elite defense in centerfield, which makes him more valuable in terms of bWAR.

That's what makes Rodríguez's contract such a bargain. It's not just that his contract is relatively affordable. It's how much more affordable he is than Tucker, a player at the same talent and skill level.

The Mariners should be grateful for this contract, and for Rodríguez, every day for the next decade.