The New York Yankees have been linked to star outfielder Kyle Tucker rather consistently for the past year, dating back to when the Houston Astros were looking to trade him last offseason.
The Yankees came up short in their pursuit of him at that time, as he was instead shipped off to the Chicago Cubs, but he’s now set to become the top free agent this winter.
MLB Trade Rumors released their contract and team predictions for the top 50 players on the open market, and one member of the site’s four-writer panel, being Anthony Franco, believes that Tucker will ultimately end up in The Bronx. Additionally, they projected that he will land an 11-year, $400 million contract.
“Tucker received and will reject a qualifying offer, so he’ll be attached to draft compensation,” they wrote. “That doesn’t matter much for free agents of this caliber. The Cubs would need to shatter their franchise-record $184MM precedent to keep him, which seems unlikely. The Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Phillies all make sense as potential suitors. The Giants, Angels or Mets could be in the mix but might focus on starting pitching, while the Rangers seem unlikely to spend at this level.”
The Yankees are always shopping at the top of the market, and they’re no strangers to handing out massive contracts in free agency.
The club has primarily landed elite starting pitchers over position players in recent years, however. They first signed Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324 million deal ahead of the 2020 campaign and poached him from their rivals in the Houston Astros in the process.
A few years later in December 2022, New York inked left-hander Carlos RodĂłn to a six-year pact worth $162 million before landing a different southpaw in Max Fried last offseason on an eight-year, $218 million agreement.
While the Yankees waited until Aaron Judge was a free agent to re-sign him to a nine-year, $360 million contract before the 2023 season, it feels a bit weird to group that in with the team’s other recent moves.
The only other position player they’ve signed to a long-term deal on the open market in recent memory was former Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury at seven years and $153 million before the 2014 season. That ended up being a colossal failure, as he posted a .716 OPS in 520 games with the team and didn’t play after the 2017 campaign.
Oct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) reacts after hitting a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning for game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images
Tucker’s Fit in New York
Could the Yankees find a way to bring in Tucker while also retaining Cody Bellinger, who may just be their top priority this offseason? It would cost a ton of money, but it’s at least feasible.
Its’s far more likely, however, that New York will end up choosing between the two players. MLB Trade Rumors projects that Bellinger will land a five-year deal worth $140 million, which is almost three times as less as Tucker’s predicted contract.
Tucker is a perennial 30-30 candidate who could use the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium to his advantage and is coming off of a season in which he slashed .266/.377/.464 over 597 trips to the plate with 22 homers, 25 stolen bases and 4.5 fWAR.
The Yankees have some tough decisions coming up and a lot of business to attend to, but don’t be surprised if they end up signing Tucker this offseason.
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