The New York Yankees have reportedly checked in on Kyle Tucker according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, adding that he’s seen as a backup plan if the team were to miss out on Cody Bellinger.
While there aren’t clear-and-defined suitors for either outfielder as things stand, the lack of a real market for Tucker could make them bigger players in those sweepstakes.
Despite buzz that the Blue Jays would heavily pursue Kyle Tucker, both Jon Heyman and The Athletic have downplayed how big of a need he is inside the organization.
Teams such as the Dodgers and Mets have the money to spend and a clear need, but neither team is also rumored to be seriously involved in this.
As the Winter Meetings draw near, big action will be expected to follow, and we could see the Yankees have Kyle Tucker fall right into their laps.
READ MORE: The Yankees are staring at a big problem at the bottom of the order
Kyle Tucker Could Head to the Yankees If Plan A Falls Through
A poor second half with the Chicago Cubs might have burned Kyle Tucker’s market, as the left-handed hitting slugger has been one of the biggest head-scratchers in early free agency.
Teams were expected to throw themselves at him with money hand over fist, but so far its been radio silence on who is actually in or not.
His .841 OPS and .377 OBP were still excellent marks, but the injury risk and lack of an MVP-caliber season could make teams view him as more of a no. 2 than a premium star slugger.
For the Yankees, that wouldn’t be an issue given that Aaron Judge is the best hitter in the game, but why do they view him as a backup option to Cody Bellinger?
The reporting surrounding Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger has been extremely inconsistent, some have labeled the Yankees as a team seriously interested in a reunion with their primary left fielder, others think Tucker is their guy.
What we’ve heard at Empire Sports Media has been a mixed bag, the team would like to land Tatsuya Imai, but it isn’t clear if that’s contingent on signing Cody Bellinger instead of Kyle Tucker or not.
I’d expect the team to be willing to spend significant financial capital this offseason to make the team better based on their interest in Imai alongside the top of the outfield market.
With that being said, the price range for Tucker dropping increases the Yankees’ odds of landing him, their desire for him at a rate where he’s paid ~$15 million more than Cody Bellinger per year seemed to be minimal.
If instead we see him land a deal that either goes short-term (unlikely right now) or at a AAV that’s within reason to Bellinger, then the Yankees could be real-deal players here.