The New York Yankees had interest in Chicago Cubs All-Star Kyle Tucker over the winter when he was still a member of the Houston Astros. Now, the star right fielder has reportedly poured cold water on in-season extension conversations, according to Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. This could give the Yankees a chance at landing Tucker in the offseason.
Tucker was asked about the possibility of an extension being signed during the season, and his response didn’t paint the picture that there was a deal in the works.
“You never know,” Tucker said, according to Greenberg. “Things can change at any point. I’m just kind of riding it out, and we’ll see how things go.”
This is potentially great news for the Yankees, as they were pursuing a trade for the outfielder following Juan Soto’s departure to the cross-town New York Mets. The Yankees ultimately landed Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, and the Astros sent Tucker to the Windy City.
The Yankees are not afraid of spending money in free agency, and if Tucker does not stick around in Chicago, the Yankees might be the favorites to land the four-time consecutive All-Star.
Tucker is once again playing like one of the best outfielders in the game, hitting .280 with 17 home runs and 22 stolen bases, just five stolen bases behind Pete Crow-Armstrong for the team lead. If Tucker has a strong second half, he could find himself in the 30-30 club for the first time in his career, growing his value on the open market.
If the Cubs let Tucker walk to free agency, watch for the Yankees to be sitting there with open arms looking for their big fish.
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