The New York Yankees have made a jarring decision regarding Kyle Tucker in MLB free agency.
The New York Yankees entered the offseason prioritizing Cody Bellinger, but the deeper we have gotten into the winter, the less likely it has appeared that they will re-sign him.
Bellinger is reportedly asking for $36-37 million annually, and while the Yankees have apparently offered the former NL MVP over $30 million per year, they are still rather far apart.
ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that talks between Bellinger and New York have reached an impasse and that the Yankees are now turning their attention to other top free agents, including outfielder Kyle Tucker.
New York was viewed as one of the top destinations or Tucker at the outset of the offseason, but it seemed patently obvious that the Yanks preferred Bellinger.
Of course, the expectation that Bellinger would come significantly cheaper than Tucker played a major role in that, but that does not appear to be the case any more.
In fact, there has been some speculation that Tucker might have to settle for a short-term contract because no one has been willing to meet his asking price, which most feel is around $400 million.
Kyle Tucker. Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images.While Bellinger is more versatile than Tucker, possessing the ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base, most would agree that Tucker is the superior player.
Tucker spent the 2025 campaign with the Chicago Cubs, slashing .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI over 597 plate appearances.
The 29-year-old battled a fractured hand as well as a calf injury during the season, which explains why his numbers were not exactly eye-opening.
Tucker, who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Houston Astros before being traded to the Cubs last winter, is a lifetime .273/.358/.507 hitter and registered a .993 OPS as recently as 2024. However, it should be noted that Tucker played in just 78 games that season.
The catch with Tucker is that he has exclusively played right field, and Aaron Judge certainly isn't moving out of right field in the Bronx. If the Yankees were to land the four-time All-Star, they would likely stick him in left field with Trent Grisham in center.
We'll see if New York can land Tucker in the coming weeks.