The New York Yankees lost out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes. They responded by signing Max Fried, creating a surplus of starting pitchers to trade from. Now, Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that they are in talks with the Houston Astros to trade for Kyle Tucker. But it would cost them Luis Gil.
“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,” Sherman wrote on Wednesday.
But the Yankees are not the only team in the conversation. “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.”
Sherman spoke about the trade package, which includes a young pitcher. “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.”
Should the Yankees trade for Kyle Tucker?
The Yankees missed the playoffs in 2023 and responded by trading for a great outfielder. Juan Soto was a superstar for one season in The Bronx but spurned them in free agency. It should not stop them from making this trade, as Tucker is not a Scott Boras client and could sign an extension before next offseason.
Trading Gil signifies the Yankees’ all-in mentality for this season. Developing a young pitcher is hard and they have done it with Gil, who was spectacular this season. But their offense was lackluster with Soto at points last year and they need a big bat. Tucker has a swing tailor-made for Yankee Stadium and is a better defender.
The risk is obvious, as the Yankees just lived the worst-case scenario with Soto. Bringing in Tucker and watching him leave would be a disaster for Brian Cashman, especially if he gives up Gil. They cannot trade the pitcher without an extension in place. If they don’t have an extension, they can deal Marcus Stroman or Nestor Cortes with high-end prospects.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi posted, “Brian Cashman said on MLB Network this morning that signing a starter creates pitching depth from which the Yankees can trade.” They are ready to make a deal and Tucker is the best player available.