Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that the Chicago Cubs signing Kyle Tucker was ‘never going to happen’, casting an extreme cloud of doubt on a return for the star outfielder.
The Yankees showed interest in a trade this winter for Kyle Tucker, putting some notable young players on the table to try and force a trade between AL rivals.
With Tucker’s future in Chicago uncertain, the Yankees could find themselves in prime position to add a star to their lineup after losing Juan Soto last winter.
New York will have an open outfield spot with Trent Grisham hitting free agency alongside Cody Bellinger, so will their strike out in the trade market result in a free agent pursuit?
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Yankees’ Aggressive Trade Talks For Kyle Tucker Could Lead to Free Agency Pursuit
After Juan Soto bolted for Queens, the Yankees quickly pivoted by signing Max Fried then turning all of their attention to the outfield market again.
Kyle Tucker had suddenly become a trade candidate as the Astros became increasingly aware of how unlikely it was that they’d be serious players in his free agent sweepstakes.
Chicago had become desperate for a star hitter, and Tucker fit the bill of a middle-of-the-order bat that they needed, but New York also threw its hat in that ring.
Sources told Empire Sports Media over the offseason that Brian Cashman made multiple players open for trade in talks, as even Ben Rice was considered expendable in this kind of trade.
Caleb Durbin was another player talked about in discussions, but Houston wanted a package that consisted of those two players, Luis Gil, and one of Jasson Dominguez or George Lombard Jr.
The Yankees balked at the price, and the Cubs ended up dealing a group of productive players in Hayden Wesneski, Isaac Paredes, and Cam Smith.
It fit the bill of a Major League pitcher, a cheap power hitter, and a top 20-25 prospect in the sport that served as the framework for Yankee-Astro trade talks, and Chicago soon traded Cody Bellinger to New York.
Brian Cashman would get 26 home runs and a 133 wRC+ out of Ben Rice while the Cubs got 22 home runs and a 136 wRC+ from Kyle Tucker, and Cody Bellinger would produce more FanGraphs’ WAR than Tucker in 2025.
With the front office being willing to offer players such as Ben Rice (whom they coveted) for Kyle Tucker, its hard to believe the team wouldn’t have made a serious attempt to retain the former Silver Slugger.
Ryan McMahon’s $16 million salary is the only meaningful financial addition they made that extends into 2026 following the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, begging the question of whether they’ll make a pursuit for Tucker.