The New York Yankees are heavily rumored to be in the mix for outfielder Kyle Tucker this offseason, but it may not be as likely as some may think.
After losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets last offseason, the Yankees traded for Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs to take his place. In turn, Kyle Tucker was dealt from the Houston Astros to the Cubs. However, Bellinger has opted-out of his current deal, and will hit the open market along with Tucker this offseason.
Yankees projected to show interest in Kyle Tucker
Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees will show interest in Tucker, but a reunion in the Bronx with Bellinger appears to be the more likely scenario.
Bellinger had a solid season with the Yankees in 2025, slashing .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. Bellinger seems to have rediscovered at least a portion of the player he was in the late 2010’s, and the one that earned the NL MVP award back in 2019.
Prior to 2025, Tucker was one of the best outfielders in baseball with the Houston Astros, making three All-Star games and being a key figure of the team’s 2022 championship run. With the Cubs this past season, Tucker was still productive despite a bit of a decline. He was named an All-Star for the fourth time, and slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs this season.
The Yankees really can’t go wrong with either Tucker or Bellinger, as both players fit the team’s needs down to a T. Nonetheless, they’ll survey their options this offseason and make a hard push for one of — or both — the All-Star outfielders.