As per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, “With an endless appetite for winning more championships, the free-spending Dodgers are seen as a frontrunner” for the $460M star. But the twist came with Jim Riley’s prediction from BALLCAP Sports.

While Bob Nightengale recently predicted that the Yankees “will either bring back Cody Bellinger or sign Kyle Tucker,” Jim Riley’s version had something even more interesting. “Kyle Tucker will go to the New York Yankees. I know we’re hearing a lot about the Dodgers. We’re going to hear some about the Blue Jays. There’s going to be a lot of teams that are rumored with Kyle Tucker, but I feel like the New York Yankees are the way to go because I don’t think Cody Bellinger will be back.”

Getting Tucker would surely address the Yanks’ offensive struggles. Aside from Bellinger and Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ lineup this season mostly failed to deliver hits above .240. Collectively, they offered a 23.5 percent strikeout rate. Plus, their clutch hitting also dipped. In the ALDS against the Jays, the Yankees went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Tucker has a .273 career BA, and his strikeout rate is just 14.7 percent. In 2025, Tucker had a walk rate of 14.6 percent. In addition, Tucker can also add a 25-30 stolen-base threat to the rivals alongside Jazz Chisholm Jr., offering a mix of power and speed.

Then Tucker‘s  .266/.377/.462 slash line this season, despite injuries, only proves how reliable he is. This season, Tucker posted a 4.5 fWAR, and his 136 wRC+ highlights that he is among the elite hitters in MLB.

Plus, the star’s pull-heavy skill can thrive at Yankee Stadium because of its short right-field porch: a ‘launching pad’ for lefties like him.

Riley added, “This Yankees team has to replace Bellinger’s production and needs to give Judge another powerful co-companion in that lineup.” Bellinger delivered a three-hit and six-RBIs game against the Mets and helped the Yankees win by 8-2 on May 18. He also delivered a three-home run game against the Cubs on July 11.

In the regular season, with an average of .272 with 28 home runs, Bellinger proved his power. Yet, Tucker remains a favorite. Bellinger’s production has been volatile. While his 47-homer, 15-steal MVP effort in 2019 has been the best, we have seen drops in his batting average and power, too. But Kyle Tucker has been an All-Star for the last four seasons and pretty consistent, as well. 

“Tucker makes better, more consistent contact, he provides more value as a baserunner, and he’s been the superior run producer.” 

With that, there is another more obvious factor.

Age. Kyle Tucker is 28, and Cody Bellinger is 30. 

All things said and done, getting Tucker will not be easy. Not only the Dodgers but the Jays are also getting linked to the No. 1 free agent.

Jeff Passan added, “After trying in free agency for Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with no luck in recent years, this is precisely the time for the Blue Jays to make the biggest move of the winter by giving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. his left-handed complement. Sign free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker.”

Even then, New York is not afraid to hunt star power. Plus, Tucker may be worth all the wait and dollars.

Yankees’ backup blockbuster: The Fernando Tatis Jr. prediction

If the predictions of Jim Riley about Kyle Tucker fail to capitalize, or they couldn’t sign Cody Bellinger, then Aaron Boone could shift towards Fernando Tatis Jr. from the San Diego Padres. Insiders anticipate that he could be the next major swing for the Yankees after years of failing short in October. 

According to Bob Nightengale from USA Today, the Padres’ inflated payroll could push them to trade one of their cornerstone, and Tatis, with his 9-year and $292 million left on his deal, commands the highest trade value.

Christopher Kline from FanSided also ignited the fire by stating Tatis is a “fit for the Yankees,” highlighting his exceptional performance with a .268 AVG, .814 SLG, .814 OPS, and 159 hits along with 25 homers in 2025. 

On 10 May 2025, he went 2-4 with a homer and 3 RBIs against the Rockies. Then, on 26 September 2025, his electric grand slam against Arizona led the Padres to a 7-4 win. At 26, Tatis is a well-proven, dynamic, and defensive star. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. is a 3-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger, and also a 2-time Gold and Platinum Glove winner, who offers speed, power, fielding, and hitting all together. For a clubhouse seeking to regain its postseason magic, Fernando could be the kind of player the Yankees do not wanna miss.

New York’s offseason hunt defines its ambition. Their willingness to spend big reflects one thing. They are all in to break their 16-year Ring drought.