The New York Yankees outfield faces some questions this offseason. Spencer Jones is nearing a debut, Jasson Domínguez has shown flashes and Aaron Judge is a superstar. However, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham were major offensive forces and are both free agents.
While an outfield of Domínguez, Judge and Jones may be good enough, the Yankees may want another star. Retaining Bellinger is certainly an option, but what if the Yankees lose him to another suitor? Is relying on a young Jones and Domínguez the best way to get to a World Series?
The only time the Yankees have reached the World Series with Judge was when he had Juan Soto alongside him. Not to say Judge is not good enough to do it alone, but every contender has multiple stars, and the Yankees need to be able to match that. Kyle Tucker is available, and he could be the kind of star the Yankees need. He would fill a hole if Bellinger leaves and is one of the best hitters in baseball.
The Yankees and other big-market teams are the only real contenders to sign Tucker, but FanSided’s Zachary Rotman predicted the Yankees would pass on Tucker to instead acquire Steven Kwan from the Cleveland Guardians.
“Time and time again in recent years, the Yankees have passed on the biggest of names and settled on a less expensive alternative,” wrote Rotman. “Why won’t that play out here with Tucker and another player like Steven Kwan? Everyone knows Kwan isn’t the player Tucker is, but he’s a very good player coming off a very good year with the Cleveland Guardians, doesn’t strike out, is a terrific defender, was on the trade block and will be significantly cheaper. While Hal Steinbrenner is willing to spend money, he has clearly defined limitations. It’s hard to see him green-lighting Brian Cashman to go above and beyond for Tucker, but trading prospects for a cheaper Kwan makes sense.”
Kwan is a four-time Gold Glover and two-time All-Star. He does not bring much power, but has great contact skills. He has a .281 career batting average and has been named an All-Star each of the last two years. He is also under club control through 2027.
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