The New York Yankees reportedly are among the teams in the running to make a blockbuster trade for Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker.
While it remains to be seen who will come out on top in the sweepstakes to land the All-Star right fielder, the Yankees are likely going to have to part ways with some premium players.
Trading for good players means giving up good players and in the case of Tucker, the Yankees may have to part ways with a package that includes Rookie of the Year Luis Gil.
In a mock trade proposal from MLB Network, the Yankees gave up Gil, first baseman Ben Rice and infielder Rodrick Arias for Tucker.
That's a steep price to pay, but the Yankees need a bat like Tucker's after they were spurned by superstar Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
Without Soto, the Yankees need more pop from the left-handed batter's box, and he would be the ideal complement to Aaron Judge likely in the No. 2 spot.
Parting ways with Gil would be a tough move right after he earned the Rookie of the Year award. However, the signing of free-agent Max Fried does give the Yankees a high-end starter in the rotation.
Rice showed some promise when he first got called up during the summer, but he quickly fizzled out over the final two months of the season.
Arias, 20, spent the entire 2024 season at Single-A Tampa, logging a .728 OPS with 13 home runs and 74 RBI in 124 games.
The Tucker sweepstakes will be one to watch over the next week or so to see if any team emerges as the favorites, and this could be especially crucial for the Yankees.
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