After losing Juan Soto to a record-breaking $765 million deal with the New York Mets, the New York Yankees have been striving to fill the offensive void left behind. They believed they had found a partial solution by going all-in on a trade for Houston Astros’ three-time All-Star outfielder.
Tucker, a former first-round pick (5th overall) in the 2015 draft, boasts an impressive .870 OPS and has smashed 125 home runs over seven seasons with Houston. Notably, 112 of those home runs came during the last four seasons, when Tucker became a full-time starter.
Yankees Lose Out on Tucker by Including Top Prospect
In the end, the Yankees fell short in their pursuit of Kyle Tucker, unable to match the trade package assembled by the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs acquired Tucker for what will likely be just one season of his services, as the three-time All-Star is set to hit free agency after playing the 2025 season on a $16.7 million salary. Tucker is projected to command a contract in the range of $200 million over six or seven years once he hits the open market.
What tipped the scales in the Cubs’ favor was their willingness to include their 2024 first-round draft pick, Cam Smith, taken 14th overall. Smith, who quickly rose to prominence after just one season in the minors following a standout year at Florida State University, is ranked by MLB.com as the fifth-best third-base prospect in baseball.
The Yankees, by contrast, lacked prospects of Smith’s caliber. Their only comparable asset, 2023 first-round pick George Lombard Jr., was reportedly off-limits, as New York was unwilling to part with the young infielder even for Tucker. Additionally, media reports suggested the Cubs had floated a deal framework that included both Lombard Jr. and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, a 26-year-old Dominican right-hander—an offer the Yankees were unwilling to entertain.
But could the Yankees still land Tucker in a massive, last-minute trade? One Fox Sports baseball analyst, Ben Verlander, suggested on Saturday that the seemingly improbable might not be entirely off the table. Verlander, who also hosts the Flippin’ Bats podcast, theorized that the Yankees might have played a behind-the-scenes role in facilitating the Astros-Cubs deal, potentially setting the stage for an even bigger move down the line.
How Yankees Could Still Pull Off a Kyle Tucker Trade
Ben Verlander sparked a wave of speculation on X (formerly Twitter) with his bold theory: “What if the Astros told the Yankees they wouldn’t trade Tucker there unless it was an insane deal? So the Yankees told the Cubs to trade for Tucker, and they’ll send them a super insane mega-deal for Tucker/Bellinger.”
Adding fuel to the fire, an account named New York Sports Addict proposed a plausible path: “I think Tucker is still possible if we take on Bellinger’s full contract of $52.5M/2Y.”
The Cubs, reportedly eager to offload outfielder Cody Bellinger and the remaining two years of his $52.5 million contract, may find the Yankees an ideal trade partner. If New York were willing to absorb Bellinger’s entire deal, it could open the door for them to acquire both Bellinger and Tucker in a blockbuster package.
Could this actually happen? While such a scenario remains purely speculative, the mechanics make it theoretically possible as long as Bellinger remains available. The Yankees, desperate to boost their offense and land a star like Tucker, might view Bellinger’s contract as the cost of doing business. However, it would likely require an extraordinary prospect haul or additional assets to convince the Cubs to part with both players.
For now, it’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened in baseball’s trade market.
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