DALLAS — More and more, it is appearing as if the Astros are open to trading Kyle Tucker and the Yankees are among the teams most seriously pursuing the star outfielder, The Post has learned.
The Yankees, though, might not be the most determined pursuer of Tucker as the Winter Meetings neared an end. The Cubs are seen as a strong player for the lefty-swinger and the Giants are also involved in talks with the Astros.
The Phillies also had been among the teams that at least inquired and tried to find a package that would work with the Astros.
Tucker, who turns 28 next month, is a free agent after the season and Juan Soto’s record 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets is now seen as likely dragging Tucker up to a $300 million or perhaps even $400 million payday next offseason. Houston owner Jim Crane has never shown the stomach for the length and dollars that are necessary to keep that kind of player, which is why Tucker has become such a hot topic at these meetings.
Houston actually got a preview of life without Tucker last year when he missed three months with a shin contusion and nevertheless went an AL-best 48-31 from June 4-Sept. 5, though Tucker had been their best player before the injury.
The Astros are prioritizing major league-ready corner infielders and starting pitching if they move Tucker. In first baseman Matt Shaw (the Cubs’ top prospect, according to MLB.com), third baseman Cam Smith and 2024 All-Star Isaac Paredes, Chicago has pieces that are attractive to Houston, which is bracing to lose third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency.
What makes the Yankees fascinating is that an agreement with Max Fried gives them seven potential starters for next season. The thought is that would motivate them to trade Marcus Stroman to get out of as much of his $18 million owed next year as possible and/or Nestor Cortes, who will be entering his walk year. And that might happen.
But because the top of the Yankee farm system is in a down cycle, they would have to get creative to acquire someone as talented as Tucker and Houston is said to be very interested in AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. It is possible that Gil and Ben Rice could front a package that at least gets the Yankees to the table.
Tucker would represent about as good a lefty-hitting outfield response to losing Soto as the Yankees can make. And if they landed him, the Yankees would be trading for a star in that category entering their walk year for the second straight season after obtaining Soto from the Padres at the Winter Meetings last season. Think of Gil or perhaps Clarke Schmidt, to some degree, like Michael King last year as the key piece sent to San Diego to obtain Soto.
As a reflection of his all-around excellence, Tucker played just 78 games last year, yet finished 27th in the majors in WAR at 4.2 (Fangraphs) and was fifth behind Aaron Judge, Soto, Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. — the ultimate top four in the AL MVP voting — when he fouled a ball off his right shin and went down for those three months.
Tucker won a Gold Glove in 2022, finished fifth for AL MVP in 2023 when he hit 29 homers, stole 30 bases and led the AL with 112 RBIs and had a career-best 181 OPS-plus in 339 plate appearances last season.
Tucker, the fifth overall pick by the Astros in 2015, has not played anywhere but Houston and, thus, almost certainly would not grant permission to work out a long-term contract as part of a trade because he would want to see how he likes any new locale.
