Still, they have to pretend as if they’ve already processed the loss and moved on from the defection. The MLB offseason moves way too fast for franchises to progress through the five stages of grief.

The business of baseball is a cold world, but it’s also one full of possibilities. New York should take advantage of that, especially since it suddenly has the chance to replace one 20-something superstar outfielder with another.

The Houston Astros are reportedly “receiving trade inquiries” about Kyle Tucker, per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, and the Yankees “could be among the teams trying to acquire him,” per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Tucker’s stardom may not carry quite as much wattage as Soto’s, but the former is still a full-fledged difference-maker when he’s healthy. As Rome noted, Tucker’s 20.9 wins above replacement since becoming a full-time player in 2020 ranks fourth among all outfielders behind only Soto, Mookie Betts and Yankees’ star slugger Aaron Judge.

A shin fracture wrecked the back half of Tucker’s 2024 season, but he was so good before going down that he earned a third consecutive All-Star selection. Even with the time missed, he still managed to pile 23 homers, 11 steals and 105 combined runs and RBI into just 78 contests. He also posted new personal bests with a .408 on-base percentage and .585 slugging percentage.

Those are elite marks, and he’s an elite player. His career 162-game averages include 32 home runs, 24 stolen bases, 93 runs and 107 RBI with a .274/.353/.516 slash line, per Baseball-Reference.

He is the caliber of player who, under normal circumstances, would be totally off limits in trade talks. These are not normal circumstances in Houston, though.

The Astros are hovering near the first luxury tax threshold and have Alex Bregman in free agency now with Tucker and Framber Valdez headed there after next season. They need financial flexibility in the worst kind of way, and their farm system needs replenishing.

That’s why general manager Dana Brown has said his club is in a position where it will “listen on anybody.”

The Yankees should take Brown up on his word. There may not be a great way to pivot away from Soto, but adding Tucker might be the closest thing to it.

New York has a hole to fill in the outfield, or two if Jasson Domínguez isn’t ready for a full-time role in the majors just yet. The Yankees won’t find a better option in free agency or trades than Tucker, who joined Soto as one of the 2023 season’s Silver Slugger recipients in the outfield. Tucker was a Gold Glove winner the previous season, too.

Tucker wouldn’t come cheap in a trade, but he probably wouldn’t require emptying the asset collection given his future uncertainty. And while the next cost of his contract will be steep, it won’t feel that way when weighed against the 15-year, $765 million deal Soto just signed.

While the Yankees surely would have preferred to push forward with Soto, there are still some really interesting paths to take as they get busy with Plan B. Adding Tucker is clearly the best consolation prize they will find.