Cubs Could Lose Best Player to Yankees in Critical Free Agency Move

The New York Yankees have some important decisions to make during the offseason, and one of them will be centered around what they want to do with Cody Bellinger. 

With Kyle Tucker also a free agent, some believe the Yankees should be interested in Tucker over Bellinger. While Tucker is a better player at this stage of his career, it’s also fair to note that the contract difference will be massive. 

With the Yankees already having one of the highest payrolls in baseball, and perhaps not wanting to spend too much more, someone like Tucker might not make too much sense. 

Despite that, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner urged the Yankees to sign Tucker over Bellinger, citing the simple fact that he’s a better baseball player, and with the Yankees wanting as much talent as possible, there’s a price to pay for that. 

“But before deciding whether to reunite with Bellinger, the Yankees should exhaust all efforts to sign Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker. He should be priority No. 1, not Bellinger. The thinking here is quite simple: Tucker is better, and the Yankees should be amassing the best talent,” he wrote.

How Much Will Yankees’ Cody Bellinger Cost?

What that price may be is something that the New York Yankees will have to consider. When predicting contracts around Major League Baseball, Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently predicted that Bellinger would land a six-year, $168 million deal. 

“Bellinger’s ability to play above-average defense at all three outfield positions and first base increases his free-agent worth, although it looks like he’s found a home in left field. 

“He has been a perfect fit for the Yankees, where playing half his games at Yankee Stadium with the short porch in right helped him hit 29 home runs while slashing .272/.334/.480 (he had a .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium and a .715 OPS at every other park). I think he’ll opt out of his contract and try to get the Yankees to give him a longer deal… Contract prediction: 6-years, $168 million,” Bowden wrote,” he wrote.

Cubs’ Kyle Tucker Will Command a Hefty Payday

While Bellinger is still expected to be in for a handsome payday, Bowden later went on to state that Tucker could land a 10-year, $427 million deal. The difference in AAV in that scenario would be huge, something the New York Yankees would have to consider.

“Tucker’s left-handed swing would play great at Yankee Stadium and his speed would be an important added element to the Yankees lineup. He’d also be a great fit for the Dodgers, who could then move Teoscar Hernández to left field and improve their right field defense. Tucker won’t turn 30 until 2027, and his young age relative to the rest of this class makes him even more inviting to both clubs for the long-term as they could backload the contract to fit their budgets better with expiring contracts down the road… Contract prediction: 10-years, $427 million,”

It’s also fair to note that Bellinger was one of the better players in baseball. That was about five years ago, so it’s tough to say that Tucker isn’t a lot better than him right now, but he’s still great.

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