MLB executives deliver shocking Yankees predictions on Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger

Bad News: according to a panel of anonymous MLB executives, the Yankees are unlikely to bring back Cody Bellinger this season. Not because they'll be outflanked by Steve Cohen, though. Instead, they'll be too busy wooing Kyle Tucker, who six of 16 execs predicted the Yankees would sign.

The Yankees received the highest number of Tucker votes from the 16-person panel, outgunning the Dodgers (four), Blue Jays (three), and Tigers/Phillies/Orioles, all with a single (hipster) vote.

What'll it cost? The executives seem to be aligned that Tucker will likely fall short of his initial $400 million goal — and their word is probably pretty good, considering they've been colluding on contracts since long before the last lockout (who said that?).

Just when you were ready to settle in to a heaping plate of turkey, pecan pie, turkey gravy, and pie gravy, ESPN's poll of 16 MLB executives delivered you a side dish of anonymous tea.

Executives believe Yankees will sign Kyle Tucker over Cody Bellinger

Of course, there's one executive comment that seems positive initially, but should give Yankee fans pause.

"My prediction is that he will sign an [Alex] Bregman-type deal with a shorter-term, higher AAV and opt-out(s) in hopes of having a monster season in '26 or '27 and hitting the [free agent] market again coming off a better year. The Yankees seem well positioned for a deal like that," wrote one voter.

And they are well positioned for that! But ... so are the Dodgers, who lack a left fielder and have reportedly been interested in Tucker, but only if he's willing to take a shorter-term commitment, similar to the offers they once made for Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. If you're Tucker, who do you choose, if the Dodgers and Yankees are both trying to "get creative"? And do you trust Hal to pony up the cash, even with a looming opt out?

Articles like this one make you wonder why the rest of the league is so bullish on the Yankees signing Tucker. What do they know? Do they know anything? Presumably, the zero voters who believe the Yankees and Bellinger will settle on a return have been informed by the same buzz.

Will these hypothetical Yankees stop at Tucker? Not according to the execs; they see Tatsuya Imai (who apparently would love to beat the Dodgers) choosing either the Giants or Yankees for his next base camp.

Now, if only these anonymous executives were in charge of the Yankees' budget ...

Who knows? Maybe there's hope. Maybe all 16 of them are Brian Cashman.