Dodger Leaving Door Open for Yankees, Kyle Tucker Deal

What if the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't as all-in on Kyle Tucker the way we thought they would be when that report first hit during the World Series? What will Hal Steinbrenner's excuse be then not to ink the star slugger to a mega deal, giving the New York Yankees a proper Robin to Gotham's Batman, Aaron Judge?

According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, this might be the case. LA's interest in Tucker was described as being on the "periphery."

"But what will absorb the most attention in the early part of this offseason will be the Dodgers' ties to Tarik Skubal, the Tigers' ace, and Kyle Tucker, the star free agent outfielder. They'll be engaged on both of those players, simply because they can, but it will probably be on the periphery."

Jul 12, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) hits a single against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

One of the Best in Baseball

If the Dodgers are not in on Tucker as much as the baseball world thought, and, by all accounts so far, there is little interest by the New York Mets, it would be nothing short of organizational malpractice not to have the biggest offer. Since the 2022 championship season with the Astros, Tucker has been one of the best hitters in baseball. His 142 wRC+ is 8th in all of baseball. His .868 OPS is 10th.

Tucker also happens to be one of the toughest at-bats in the league. His 12.7% walk rate is the 14th-highest since that 2022 season, and his 14.7% strikeout rate is the 29th lowest.

Nov 5, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley and right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) celebrates in the locker room after the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in game six winning the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Once Tucker makes his rounds and meets with teams, Steinbrenner and co. should be wining and dining him. Put his face on the big board at Yankee Stadium, with the word "Welcome to New York" in as big and as grand a font as they can conjure up. Have him sit courtside at a Knicks game with Aaron Judge, posing for Insta pictures a few seats away from Spike Lee and new mayor Zohran Mamdami. Make the man formerly known as King Tuck to Houston Astros fans feel like actual royalty.

Playing From Behind

The front office should give Tucker that classic Yankee experience, similar to the one they last showed Gerrit Cole the winter after 2019, and then, once teams field their offers, have the biggest deal on the table. Hindsight is 20/20, and the discourse over the pursuits of Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is that they were always destined for the Mets and Dodgers. However, in both cases, the Yankees were negotiating from behind, never having the largest deal for either.

Soto's deal was decided by incentives that would clear $800 million if the Mets negate his opt-out in the coming years. For Yamamoto, they were third behind the Dodgers and the Mets, refusing to have him eclipse Gerrit Cole's price tag. That shouldn't happen here.

The Yankees can't keep kicking free agency down the line, hoping future bats will meet their price tag. There are only so many prime years of Judge left, and if the 2024 season was any proof of what landing stars can do for an organization, they should replay that clip of Soto sending them to the World Series.

Bellinger vs. Tucker

They pat themselves on the back for having Plan B get them through a 162-game season, but once it mattered, Cody Bellinger put up a multitude of feeble at-bats this October, dropping his postseason wRC+ in his career to 75. He was the third option to Soto and Tucker, and an instance of the Yankees getting what they paid for on the biggest stage.

It's true that Tucker hasn't been stellar in October, posting a slightly below-average 95 wRC+, but one thing about him is that he has consistently been one of the better bats in baseball. It's something Bellinger can't say. Since Tucker's breakout in 2019, he hasn't ever hit below a 120 wRC+.

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a single in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Bellinger is inconsistent. Following an MVP season in 2019, he experienced one of the more catastrophic stretches by a star and never reached the same level of excellence after. Between 2020 and 2022, Bellinger had a 78 wRC+, rebounded to a 135 wRC+ in 2023, fell to a 108 wRC+ the following year before being dumped for Cody Poteet, and then had a season in the Bronx where he hit for a 125 wRC+.

Tucker will have the bigger price tag, but they know what they're getting in him, year after year.

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