DALLAS — With Juan Soto gone, the Yankees may commerce for a top-tier rental for the second straight offseason.
“We’re open to anything,” Brian Cashman stated Wednesday morning as rumors involving Houston’s Kyle Tucker swirled across the Winter Conferences.
The conferences started with Soto spurning the Yankees for a record-setting, 15-year, $765 million cope with the Mets. Astros common supervisor Dana Brown then made it recognized that he would “listen on anybody” when requested if he’d think about buying and selling Tucker and beginning pitcher Framber Valdez.
Like Soto, Tucker is a power-hitting proper fielder who will get on base and bats from the left facet. Whereas not as gifted a hitter as Soto, Tucker remains to be a drive who additionally provides extra pace and higher protection.
Might he change Soto forward of his personal stroll yr?
“I would expect us to have conversations with all teams about what availability of players on their roster are, as well as all agents of players in free agency that we like, too,” Cashman stated when requested if he’d keep in touch with Brown. “We’ll check every box and ascertain price tags and that will be true of anything in the marketplace.”
In line with a number of reviews, the Astros like Yankees’ right-hander Luis Gil, the American League Rookie of the Yr, in a possible deal for Tucker. In the meantime, the Cubs are additionally seen as suitors, amongst others, as Seiya Suzuki and Isaac Paredes are chips for Chicago.
Final yr, the Yankees traded 5 gamers — Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez — to San Diego for Soto and Trent Grisham. It was a excessive worth to pay for what amounted to only one yr of Soto.
The Yankees additionally paid the famous person a record-setting $31 million for 2024 to keep away from arbitration.
Tucker, scheduled to turn into a free agent for the primary time subsequent winter, is projected to make $15.8 million in arbitration this offseason.
Have been the Yankees to amass the 27-year-old, they may attempt to interact him in extension talks like they did with Soto. Nonetheless, it might be laborious for Tucker to cross on a shot on the open market after seeing what Soto bought. Whereas Tucker gained’t pull in as many {dollars} as Soto did, his age and expertise ought to put him in line for a huge deal of his personal.
Restricted to 78 video games final season because of a shin fracture, Tucker hit .289/.408/.585 with 23 residence runs, 49 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a 180 wRC+. The seven-year professional is a .274/.353/.516 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBI, 94 stolen bases and a 139 wRC+ for his profession.
A 3-time All-Star, Tucker additionally gained the World Sequence with Houston in 2022.
READY FOR RŌKI
With Rōki Sasaki’s free company underway, Cashman stated the Yankees have already got a presentation ready for the Japanese ace as they await a gathering date.
Sasaki grew up a giant fan of Masahiro Tanaka, however Cashman declined to say if the previous Yankee factored into the group’s pitch.
“We’ve had some great [Japanese] players that have played here and enjoyed playing here,” Cashman stated, highlighting Tanaka, Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda. “But that doesn’t guarantee any individual’s decision piggybacking on those types. But I know those players are great resources to speak to the experiences that they had here.”
Cashman noticed Sasaki pitch for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2023. He got here away impressed, calling the right-hander a “big arm with a big desire to be great.”
“His intent is to be one of the game’s greatest pitchers on the planet,” Cashman stated. “We certainly would love to participate in allowing that to happen.”
With the Yankees and Mets each keen on Sasaki — the 23-year-old’s age limits him to worldwide signing bonus pool cash — agent Joel Wolfe stated that Sasaki may deal with the intense lights of New York on Tuesday. Nonetheless, Wolfe additionally recommended that Sasaki may benefit from a smaller market after damaging experiences with Japanese media took a psychological toll on the pitcher.
PINSTRIPERS’ PAYROLL
In line with Cot’s Contracts, the Yankees’ 2025 projected payroll is $258.1 million for aggressive stability tax functions after agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million contract with former Braves starter Max Fried on Tuesday. That places them over the primary tax threshold of $241 million. The second threshold is $261 million, adopted by $281 million and $301 million.
Final month, Hal Steinbrenner stated he had but to consider a goal quantity for subsequent yr’s payroll. On Wednesday, Cashman was requested if a quantity had been communicated to him. He responded by merely saying that Steinbrenner stated that every one prospects needs to be dropped at his consideration.
“He’s fully invested and involved every step of the way,” Cashman stated. “So he’s aware of all the price tags on the trade acquisitions, as well the free agents.”
SPENCER JONES & OTHER PROSPECTS
In spring coaching, Steinbrenner stated that he didn’t wish to commerce high prospects Will Warren, Spencer Jones and Chase Hampton. Every went on to endure disappointing seasons in numerous methods, although, as Warren, who made his MLB debut, and Jones noticed their numbers dip whereas the now-healthy Hampton suffered a flexor pressure.
On Wednesday, Cashman stated he’s “open minded to everything” when requested about presumably buying and selling members of the trio.
“Certain guys, you’re more willing to discuss, and other guys, you’ve got a lot more trepidation in discussing,” he continued. “It’s just the nature of the beast.”
Almost about Jones, Cashman stated the outfielder is able to greater than he confirmed throughout a strikeout-heavy 2024 marketing campaign. The GM referred to as the Yankees’ sixth-best prospect, per Baseball America, a “physical beast,” however he famous greater gamers typically take extra time to develop. Cashman cited Dellin Betances and Aaron Decide as examples whereas speaking about Jones, who’s 6-6.
“All those tools are real, so the excitement is all there,” Cashman stated of Jones, who has displayed energy and pace. “You also have to be patient.”
