Yankees’ Kyle Tucker Links Deepen After Top Insider Reveals Astros Being “Very Interested” in 26-YO Pitcher

From the beginning of this off-season, the Houston Astros seemed to have one goal: re-sign Alex Bregman. He is one of the stars and a fan favorite, and the team has mentioned it’s their priority to get him back. However, while on one side they are busy with Bregman, the news is floating about them trading Kyle Tucker. The outfielder is set to hit free agency next year, plus with the Juan Soto deal hitting $765 million, Tucker’s payday could likely be pushed to $300 million, or even $400 million!

The Houston Astros owner, Jim Crane, has never been one to stomach such exorbitant contract sizes. Crane has let go of outstanding players in the past simply because he didn’t want to pay such amounts. He has been lucky because it didn’t make much difference to the team. Right now, the Yankees are seemingly the front runners, but the Astros, according to Joel Sherman, would want someone notable for the deal to happen.

A game-changing risk for the Yankees in Kyle Tucker deal

Kyle Tucker is an excellent player. However, the team has had a preview of what the lineup would look like and perform without him. He missed three months because of a shin contusion, and yet, the Astros made it to the AL-best 48-31 from June 4 to Sept. 5. So, it’s not surprising that they would want to trade him. Now, the Yanks are interested, but it’s not a one-way street; even the Astros are eyeing their stellar pitcher Luis Gil in a trade deal.

Joel Sherman mentioned, “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.” Kyle Tucker indeed would be an electrifying addition to the New York Yankees outfield—he is a Gold Glove winner.

Sure, Tucker’s price might be steep, but he might be worth it for the Yankees. Mostly because they lost a key player—Juan Soto—to the New York Mets! However, Sherman mentions that getting the 27-year-old isn’t going to be simple. The Chicago Cubs are interested, plus the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies are in this pursuit. But buyers should tread cautiously because getting Kyle Tucker means taking on a colossal risk.

The New York Yankees cannot ignore a major red flag

Ken Rosenthal, in a recent episode of The Foul Territory, talked about how Kyle Tucker is the perfect replacement for Juan Soto. According to him, the offensive power might not be as good as Soto’s, but he is a better baserunner and a great defender. While that’s all great, he even went on to mention a big red flag that the Yankees simply cannot ignore in their pursuit of Tucker!

The deal breaker is that the situation is the same as the one the Yankees faced with Juan Soto. He came in for a year and bolted on them already, even with a $760 million deal on the table. Rosenthal noted that while the Yankees might trade key pieces, Tucker could “bolt on” them the very next year, given he is set to be a free agent next year. So, is taking such a risk of trading players like Luis Gil for such a short term even worth it?

However, Rosenthal did end by saying Kyle Tucker is the most “underrated” player in the game. And while he isn’t like Soto, he did hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs in 78 games with 11 steals. Now, it remains to be seen if the Yankees can risk taking such a risk!