When the New York Yankees lost Juan Soto in free agency, everyone immediately pointed to Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker as the next best thing to replace the generational slugger. So when the Yankees were connected to him, fans got incredibly excited.
Tucker might not be better than Soto, but he’s a hitter of similar caliber, a better defender, and more athletic. The Astros were trying to trade the All-Star, too, because they saw the writing on the wall with his future contract in free agency after the 2025 season.
In the end, the Yankees weren’t able to land him. Based on whatever report you believe, either the Astros had no desire to help out the Yankees (no matter how enticing the package was), or Brian Cashman blew it by refusing to include pitcher Luis Gil in a potential deal.
What’s done is done, but, man, it’s fun to imagine how awesome the Yankees would’ve been if they were able to add Tucker to their offseason haul. They could’ve made it work seamlessly, especially with all of the injuries that killed them in spring training.
Tucker, who’s now with the Cubs after Chicago made the blockbuster deal, has homered in four straight games as of Wednesday as he looks to put up an MVP-caliber campaign before free agency.
What would Yankees lineup look like if they traded for Kyle Tucker?
You want to talk about flexibility with the DH spot for the Yankees? They could’ve rotated an outfield of Tucker, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jasson Dominguez with relative ease. Bellinger could’ve played first base on some nights to give Paul Goldschmidt a breather, too. With Giancarlo Stanton on the shelf indefinitely, the Yankees wouldn’t have had to worry about spreading around enough reps.
Tucker’s also an elite defender, and given how the Yankees haven’t entrusted Dominguez to finish out games because of left field concerns, there would’ve been a much more reserved uproar if Tucker or Bellinger were moving from DH to the outfield later in games to address that concern instead of Trent Grisham, who is making $5 millon as a fourth outfielder.
Not to mention, Tucker hitting free agency after 2025 lines right up with the Yankees’ preferences. It could’ve allowed them to remain financially flexible, and if things didn’t work out they probably would’ve watched all of Tucker, Bellinger, Goldschmidt, Devin Williams and others walk as the front office devised a new plan. There’s also the alternative of Tucker becoming a legitimate option to pair with Judge for the next half-decade if everything went well.
Perhaps a disastrous first half for the Cubs could still make this a reality. But after a week of action the Yankees should definitely be upset if they made Gil a dealbreaker in talks with the Astros.
