Free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker visited the Toronto Blue Jays player development complex in Dunedin, Florida, on Wednesday.
Tucker landing with the Blue Jays might be the worst-case scenario for the New York Yankees, who are also reportedly in the mix to sign the soon-to-be 29-year-old right fielder.
"As long as Tucker is willing to play left field, I think he’d be the perfect fit at Yankee Stadium for the next decade. He’s a five-tool player who does everything above average," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote.
The Yankees' internal left field options include Jasson Dominguez and prospect Spencer Jones.
"He’s not a face of the franchise type, but they don’t need him to be because they already have Aaron Judge," Bowden added about Tucker. "That contract may seem like a lot of money, but think about it this way — it’s a savings of $338 million over what Juan Soto was paid last offseason."
Tucker is a five-tool player
Signing Tucker will be expensive, but the Yankees may prefer to pay a little extra rather than risk that Dominguez will improve on defense and Jones cuts down his strikeouts tremendously.
At the plate, Tucker has a career.273 batting average, and averages 31 home runs and 25 stolen bases per a 162-game season. This past season with the Chicago Cubs, he walked 87 times and struck out just 88 times.
Tucker has slowed down a bit, so his defensive metrics took a hit last year. With Judge patrolling right field, he would have to accept a full-time role in left.
Judge and Tucker may not form a duo as strong as the Judge-Soto one, but it would be a scary sight for opposing pitchers nonetheless.
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