{"id":123849,"date":"2025-11-22T10:24:47","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T10:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=123849"},"modified":"2025-11-22T10:24:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T10:24:47","slug":"%f0%9f%94%a5-big-insight-yankees-get-powerful-take-on-cody-bellinger-vs-kyle-tucker-why-new-yorks-focused-split-decision-could-define-their-off%e2%80%91season-strategy-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=123849","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udd25 BIG INSIGHT: Yankees Get Powerful Take on Cody Bellinger vs. Kyle Tucker \u2014 Why New\u202fYork\u2019s Focused Split Decision Could Define Their Off\u2011Season Strategy and Cost Structure!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cody-bellinger-new-york-yankees.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cody-bellinger-new-york-yankees.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cody-bellinger-new-york-yankees.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cody-bellinger-new-york-yankees.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Yankees Get Powerful Take on Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p>(Photo by Kent J. Edwards\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The New York Yankees aren\u2019t afraid to be big spenders, but the front office has to ensure they get their money\u2019s worth. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As a result, there is a need in the outfield, and general manager Brian Cashman has a decision to make: Either go for the known commodity in Cody Bellinger or go for the big fish in Kyle Tucker. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tucker is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded a .266 batting average, 22 home runs, and 73 RBI for the\u00a0<\/span>Chicago Cubs <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Moreover, Tucker will be looking for a big payday from a team that needs a big bat in the middle of their lineup for the foreseeable future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Nonetheless, MLB Network\u2019s Steve Phillips believes the decision is easy for New York to make. While adding Tucker would be the big offseason splash, the<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Yankees should resist spending big, at least for an outfielder. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cIf Bellinger is your priority, Plan B is not Tucker,\u201d <\/span>Phillips said in a video published by MLB Network on November 21 <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. \u201cTucker is only a Plan A because he\u2019s going to be $400 million, close to that number. Bellinger is going to be down closer to $200 million. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cSo you don\u2019t say, \u2018Well, my Plan A is the guy for $200 million, but if we don\u2019t get him, let me double that and go get the guy worth $400 million.\u2019 So Tucker is the better player. He is. But the better value for me is Cody Bellinger [and] their numbers aren\u2019t that far off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cody Bellinger Is a Better Fit for the Yankees<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Phillips didn\u2019t stop at that because Bellinger is the cheaper option; the Yankees should try to re-sign their outfielder from last season. Moreover, the former MLB executive believes that Bellinger\u2019s versatility better suits New York\u2019s outfield than Tucker\u2019s. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cBellinger is a center fielder and a left fielder and a right fielder, where Tucker is really just a corner outfielder,\u201d Phillips added. \u201cSo in many ways, [Bellinger] gives you more versatility. He can play first base, too. And so he gives you more options. I think Bellinger is the <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">priority for the Yankees<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI think that GM speak for Brian Cashman was, \u2018I\u2019m doing my due diligence.\u2019 One of the guys I talked to was Casey Close, who represents Kyle Tucker; I think you\u2019re talking to him about all they have available; I don\u2019t think Tucker is their No. 1 priority.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Will Either of the New York Teams Want Kyle Tucker?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Moreover, Phillips is echoing what MLB insider Jon Heyman has reported, noting that he doesn\u2019t expect either New York team to make a <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">major<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> offer for Tucker this offseason.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cI do think the Blue Jays are a definite bidder in this,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Heyman said on November 14 during an appearance on MLB Network about the potential suitors for Tucker <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. \u201cWe\u2019ll see if they do get them. I could see the Dodgers, the\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Giants<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and potentially the Phillies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u201cYou hear speculation about the New York teams, but I don\u2019t see that. The New York teams have pretty good right fielders, right? They have Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. So I\u2019m not seeing that. I don\u2019t know\u2014maybe somebody knows something I don\u2019t know, but not for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area &amp; California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo<\/p>\n<h2>More Heavy on Yankees<\/h2>\n<p>Loading more stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MLB Network&#8217;s Steve Phillips doesn&#8217;t hold back on who the New York Yankees should pursue this offseason: Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":123854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udd25 BIG INSIGHT: Yankees Get Powerful Take on Cody Bellinger vs. Kyle Tucker \u2014 Why New\u202fYork\u2019s Focused Split Decision Could Define Their Off\u2011Season Strategy and Cost Structure! - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=123849\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udd25 BIG INSIGHT: Yankees Get Powerful Take on Cody Bellinger vs. Kyle Tucker \u2014 Why New\u202fYork\u2019s Focused Split Decision Could Define Their Off\u2011Season Strategy and Cost Structure! 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