If the New York Yankees are going to replace Cody Bellinger with Kyle Tucker, they are going to pay handsomely to do so.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden spelled out Tucker’s potential monster contract of 10 years worth $429 million while naming him the No. 1 available free agent in the 2026 off-season.
The Yankees have long been linked to Tucker due to their ongoing hole in left field, Tucker’s tailor-made left-handed swing for the short porch at Yankee Stadium and tenuous contract status.
But instead of trading for Tucker, which the Chicago Cubs did last off-season, the Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Cubs after Tucker replaced Bellinger. Both Bellinger and Tucker are free agents, and the Yankees have been linked to both — but surely will only be able to sign one.
Tucker scored 91 runs and hit 22 home runs and had an .841 OPS in 136 games for the Cubs last year.
Kyle Tucker’s Comps Are The Best Players In Baseball
Tucker finished 26th in MLB in OPS, and as the cream-of-the-free-agent crop, he is expected to cash in, according to Bowden.
“Despite a season that was marred by injury and inconsistent performance, Tucker is expected to be the highest paid free agent in this yearâs class, with most analysts believing he will get between $400 million and $500 million based on the recent contracts given to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($500 million; Toronto Blue Jays) and Juan Soto ($765 million; New York Mets),” Bowden wrote. “Teams view him as a complete player who will be a threat to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases every season.”
To Bowden’s point, Tucker has stolen at least 25 bases in three of his six seasons since breaking in full time with the Houston Astros during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. He has a pair of 30-homer seasons, plus a 29-blast campaign in 2023, and has driven in 100-plus runs twice.
The only real concern for any team interested in signing Tucker is his health. He missed significant time with a shin injury in 2024 then tried to play through a broken hand — struggling with power for the month of June before the Cubs finally properly diagnosed him.
Kyle Tucker Is A Natural Fit With The Yankees
Though Bellinger was named the No. 10 free agent on the list, and he was a seamless fit after the Yankees lost Soto to the Mets in the 2024 off-season, Tucker’s speed, power and contact — plus his solid defense — would be an upgrade to even Bellinger.
“Tuckerâs left-handed swing would play great at Yankee Stadium and his speed would be an important added element to the Yankees lineup,” Bowden wrote.
But just because he fits best in New York doesn’t mean the Yankees won’t be bidding against themselves. The former MLB executive floated the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants as the best potential fits for Tucker.
“Tucker wonât turn 30 until 2027,” Bowden wrote. “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.”
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