Yankees Could Suddenly Lose Offseason to Mets in Devastating Fashion

Well, New York Yankees fans, the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes are over, as the four-time All-Star has agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tucker inked a four-year, $240 million contract with an opt out after the first year, and now, Cody Bellinger is rubbing his mitts together.

Why? Because that's $60 million annually for Tucker, and while Tucker is a better player than Bellinger, is he $25-30 million per year better? Absolutely not.

Suddenly, $40 million AAV does not seem out of the question for Bellinger, who was reportedly asking for $36-37 million before the Tucker news broke.

Now, Bellinger's asking price just increased even more, especially with Scott Boras running the show and understanding that with Tucker and Alex Bregman both off the market, Bellinger is now the cream of the crop.

Enter the New York Mets, who apparently had a $50 million per year offer on the table for Tucker. You don't think Steve Cohen would be willing to outspend Hal Steinbrenner for a star outfielder for the second winter in a row?

Last year, Cohen pried Juan Soto away from the Bronx, handing him a deal that could reach up to $805 million. He also signed ex-Yankees Clay Holmes, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. Oh, and he stole international shortstop prospect Wandy Asigen.

Clearly, Cohen loves grinding the Yankees' gears, and he would absolutely do it again ... particularly when he is desperate.

You think things have been bad in the Bronx this offseason? Try being in Queens, where the Mets traded away fan favorite Brandon Nimmo, didn't even make an offer to the beloved Pete Alonso, lost Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers and have yet to make any truly impactful moves.

Cohen needs a big hit, and he knows it. And how sweet would it be for him to once again score that goal by swiping a Yankees star?

Steinbrenner? He doesn't play those games. He's not about to get into a "mine is bigger" contest with the — let's face it — puerile Mets owner who sometimes seems more concerned with vexing the Yankees than anything else.

Not that that worked out for Cohen's 83-win ballclub in 2025, but to be perfectly honest, he probably still felt some lingering satisfaction in he fact that he pulled Soto out of pinstripes and into orange and blue ... at least for now.

Surely, that contract that might as well have been a billion dollars will start to eat away at Cohen at some point. Maybe it already has, which is why the affluent mogul has actually shied away from spending this offseason.

But now, with the free-agent market drying up by the second, Cohen knows that his time is short.

And if he does sign Bellinger away from the Yankees? Then what will Aaron Boone be left with? The option of playing either Jasson Dominguez, who looked like he was perpetually losing fly balls in the sun even in the dark last season, or Spencer Jones, who has yet to sniff the big leagues in spite of being 24 years old, in left field?

That isn't exactly enviable. Not for a supposed World Series contender.

Heck, and what stops the Mets — who need starting pitching, by the way — from also trading for Yankees target Freddy Peralta? The Milwaukee Brewers would surely prefer to keep Peralta out of the National League, but that won't stop Cohen from trying.

Tucker bolting for Los Angeles hurt the Yankees in more ways than one. Not only did the lose out on a star player (who they probably never really had a chance of landing anyway), but they just saw Bellinger's demands increase drastically ... all with Cohen lurking in the background.

This really could result in disaster, and it could once again end in the Mets stealing back page news in the tabloids. A place the Yankees used to own.