Unexpected Yankees division rival could jump into Kyle Tucker sweepstakes

With Trent Grisham officially back in the 2026 fold, the New York Yankees' offseason work is far from over. The surprising decision to clog up next year's budget by offering (and having him accept) the $22 million olive branch left many feeling as if the outfield picture is more or less complete. That might not necessarily be the case, though.

With the latest reports indicating that the Yankees might be willing to stretch beyond their typical fiscally responsible stance, it seems like a Cody Bellinger reunion might still be in the picture. However, with Grisham able to cover center (even if his defense is declining), the Yankees could shift their focus to left field and land the big fish, Kyle Tucker.

In many ways, Tucker could be the key to the whole offseason for the Yankees. Adding him isn't likely, but if they're able to pull it off, it would be transformative. However, the competition is both fierce and dangerous. Fresh off vanquishing the Yankees en route to a World Series appearance, the Toronto Blue Jays are considered the early favorites to land the superstar left fielder.

However, there's another division rival lurking in the periphery: the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles, surprisingly lurking in the Kyle Tucker chase, could up the pressure on the Yankees

As Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon note in their piece, the Orioles are desperate to return to the postseason after a last-place finish in the AL East. With a talented young nucleus, that could certainly happen if they make the right moves this winter.

So far, they're off to an interesting start. Their biggest need is pitching, both in the form of an ace to lead the rotation and a closer (as well as a couple of setup arms) to lock down their bullpen. So, of course, the first move they made was trading away their best starting pitcher, Grayson Rodriguez, for outfielder Taylor Ward.

Baffling in a vacuum, but there's still a lot of offseason left to unfold. Sometimes a move is made that doesn't make much sense, only for it to be the key to unlocking the next big splash down the road.

For Baltimore, the plan could be to set off a chain reaction. Rather than spend their remaining budget on a free-agent starter, as expected, they could instead sign Tucker, pair him with Ward, and then dangle talented young outfielders like Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, and/or top prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. on the trade market to solve their pitching woes.

Of course, this is the Orioles we're talking about. The same club, which knew full well their rotation was an issue, decided that patchwork like Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano was enough to fill the glaring hole. It wasn't.

They have Mike Elias fighting for his job down there, though, and desperation can lead to splashy moves as executives try to save their jobs. That could certainly be a motivating factor for Elias regarding Tucker, and it shouldn't shock anyone to see them make a real play for his services, even if it doesn't make sense at first glance.