The past several offseasons, it’s been easy to wishcast the Yankees. There’s been a central figure holding up the proceedings: Juan Soto last year, Yoshinobu Yamamoto the year before (after Soto arrived), Aaron Judge during the terrifying winter before that. Sometimes, they get what they want. Sometimes, they get spurned. In recent years, though, the “want” has been clear and obvious, and a person whose arrival would be met with universal approval.
This year? It’s harder to parse. The easiest, and likeliest, path forward for the Yankees involves retaining Cody Bellinger, guarding against a significant drain. That’s not as exciting as the quest to bring back Soto, nor would it shatter the earth to the same degree, no matter the outcome. The consensus best player on the market is Kyle Tucker, but his price tag doesn’t seem to match his impact on the sport (or postseason performance). Tucker is great. Extremely great. He’s also the kind of player Yankees haters would enjoy taunting New York for tying down, after he disappeared in October and had to be shielded from Cubs fans mid-year while struggling and battling ailments.
If the Yankees signed Tucker, you’d be happy, obviously. But it’s not a mental priority, and it’s certainly not an obsession. The Dodgers have been tied to the lefty swinger. So have the Blue Jays. It’s all been loose, sure, but still quiet on the Yankees’ front.
Until … now, apparently? If you ask Toronto insider Ben Nicholson-Smith, his team’s interest has been overblown. In fact, the “plugged-in people” he’s talking to believe it’s more likely that the Yankees blow Tucker away than the Jays.
Full Article; https://t.co/FUniLnfiq7
https://twitter.com/FiresideYankees/status/1989008241930482154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Yankees more likely to blow Kyle Tucker away with a massive offer than the Blue Jays are? Excuse I?
Meanwhile, according to Jeff Passan, the Dodgers’ interest in Tucker seems more short-term and by happenstance as well. He doesn’t believe they’re inclined to make a decade-long commitment to him, but would obviously be interested in a high-AAV, better manicured package.
In other words, who’s going to blow Tucker and his agent away? Is the answer, “No one”?
If that’s the case, and all offers come up equally underwhelming, expect the Dodgers’ interest to weigh the most. Still, we thought we’d go the whole offseason without a legitimate Yankees-Tucker nugget meant to do anything more than drive up someone else’s price. Where this belief is coming from, we don’t know, but it feels legitimate.
