Yankees target Kyle Tucker's price rising astronomically during historic Cubs start

Any comfort that New York Yankees fans got from the reality that two ex-Houston Astros won Player of the Week in their new cities to kick off 2025 quickly disappeared when they realized ... one's in Boston (still sucks) and one's a guy they want to pay.

Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker took home the honors, and while Bregman has an opt-out decision to explore this offseason, he certainly seems comfortable making $40 million annually in Boston. Tucker? While he's playing at a pace in Chicago that hasn't been matched by a Cub since 1929, he delivered a firm, almost Juan Soto-like message to his current team this week in the wake of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s new deal.

“It’s what he wanted to do," Tucker told ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "I’m sure he loves playing in Toronto. That’s great for him. Everyone is a little different. Right now I’m here to play this yr and play for the Cubs…We’ll see where everything goes after that.”

In short? Price going up. If someone with no positional flexibility can leverage their franchise icon status into $500 million, then surely an elite outfielder in a drying-up free agent pool can try to do so, too.

Yankees might have to pay $500 million price for Kyle Tucker in MLB free agency

And now's the time where fans start to talk themselves out of an obvious fit in Tucker, making excuses based on small samples from the current roster.

"If Aaron Judge DHs, where will Ben Rice play? Does Jasson Dominguez have the long rope he deserves?" As if the Yankees' projected rotation didn't make it clear enough throughout the month of March, things will always work themselves out. The reality is that Tucker is the kind of talent you commit to, then move around the requisite pieces in the aftermath. Cody Bellinger isn't secured long-term (and possibly shouldn't be). Jasson Dominguez might be a natural center fielder. We don't know what he is yet. As Judge ages, he'll need to be shifted to the DH spot more often, and Giancarlo Stanton's career is doubtlessly winding down; that's no longer a roadblock. If Rice hits, fantastic! The Yankees don't have a first baseman under contract beyond 2025, either.

Tucker will be a tough financial pill to swallow, and the Yankees will almost certainly have to add upper-crust starting pitching alongside him, but no matter the cost, he should be their Plan A entering free agency next season. He's clearly open to the open market.

The better he hits (1.1 bWAR, 226 OPS+ through his first 13 games after a slow start in Japan), the pricier he'll get. Thankfully, the Yankees are still the Yankees, and the Mets reportedly aren't keen on splurging again next offseason after committing to Juan Soto, the man Tucker could replace in the Bronx for the decade of success we envisioned last offseason.

It's going to cost them. But they shouldn't care.