Yankees fans arguing over Cody Bellinger vs Kyle Tucker need to go pound sand

New York Yankees fans love to argue with other fanbases. It's part of their identity. And nobody can blame them, because all 29 others come after them regularly simply because ... they root for the Yankees. Notably, though, the infighting between Bronx Bombers fans continues to get more and more objectionable by the year.

This time around, everyone is throwing a fit about the Cody Bellinger vs Kyle Tucker free agency argument. Jomboy posted a video via Talkin' Yanks discussing why Bellinger was a better "fit" than Tucker, which got all of the know-nothings riled up.

The classic snarky responses were "Kyle Tucker is the better fit because he's the superior player." Oh! Geniuses! Even though ... Bellinger is better defensively, has an MVP, a Rookie of the Year, and 388 more games played despite only being a year older than Tucker. Who is sitting around convincing themselves that Tucker is far and away the better option and that there's no discussion?

Tucker is historically a bad playoff performer (with 72 games under his belt, too!) and spent his entire tenure in Houston (from 2019-2024) during the Astros' incredible run surrounded by the game's best hitters. There's no denying his talent, but there's also an argument to be had that he was propped up tremendously under the best possible circumstances.

Bellinger had a similar upbringing and doesn't have good postseason statistics, but he does have signature moments. And he plays four positions. And his overall regular season numbers have been dragged down by a shoulder injury that killed his production from 2021-2022.

Not to mention, these guys are only a year apart, and Tucker's market is believed to be $350 million or more, while Bellinger's looks like it's going to be capped around $200 mil? For what the Yankees need, yes, Bellinger on paper is the better fit. He's less expensive, more versatile, and doesn't displace Aaron Judge from his natural position in right field. The Yankees already made that accommodation for Juan Soto, and while Judge was solid in center field, there's no way he can undertake such a task in 2026. There are only so many outfield positions for so many players.

If you want to sign both Tucker and Bellinger, then great! We understand your perspective. But the Yankees won't do that. What have they done in recent years to prove to you that they would do something like that? They aren't going to. They also aren't going to sign Tucker for $300+ million. Why is anyone even arguing? Are these fans starting each offseason as if they were just born and completely ignorant of the Yankees' processes over the last 15 years?

But even more importantly ... why are we arguing about signing one of two very good baseball players? Either one will help the Yankees for 2026 and beyond. The main stance should be "the Yankees can't sign one of these guys and be done." Signing Bellinger and stopping there would be the definition of "running it back" with a team that proved it can't go far, while signing Tucker and stopping there would be almost the same thing.

Why does everybody take it as a personal affront when a roster perspective is presented that they don't agree with? How could "Bellinger is a better fit" get you this mad? How could you possibly think signing Tucker is that much of a foregone conclusion for the ever-so-careful Yankees?

If the Yankees end up with either player, it'll hopefully be the start of a productive offseason. But let's not sit here and pretend it's the end of the world if the Yankees opt for the better defensive option to avoid awkward roster gymnastics — a problem they've dealt with for the past eight years, if anybody's been paying attention.