Although the New York Yankees missed out on Juan Soto to their cross-town rivals last offseason, one insider believes they could have another shot at landing a marquee free agent.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic analyzed the potential destinations for MLB’s 2026 free-agent class and identified the Yankees as a leading candidate to sign Chicago Cubs standout Kyle Tucker. However, acquiring the MVP contender won’t be cheap—Bowden estimates Tucker could command a deal similar in scale to Soto’s $765 million contract.
Bowden highlighted that Tucker is delivering the best season of his career just in time for free agency, positioning himself for one of the most lucrative contracts in league history.
“Tucker has helped lead the Cubs to the top of the NL Central and is firmly in the MVP conversation,” Bowden noted. “He’s on pace for nearly 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and as a three-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and Silver Slugger, he could sweep the awards in his contract year.”
A number of high-spending teams are expected to pursue Tucker, including the Cubs, who acquired him from the Astros and will likely aim to retain him. Bowden speculates the price tag could reach or exceed $600 million.
“With Juan Soto securing a $765 million free-agent deal and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. inking a $500 million extension, Tucker’s deal is expected to start with a six,” Bowden said. “Expect the Cubs, Phillies, Yankees, and Dodgers to be key players.”
Yankees Targeting Other Big Names
Bowden also projected that the Yankees will be aggressive in next offseason’s free-agent market, with interest in stars like Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette.
He pointed out that Bichette might need to switch positions—potentially to third base—for teams like the Yankees, Tigers, or Dodgers, but he would still attract strong interest if he continues to perform.
“Bichette’s market should remain solid if he maintains his form, even with a possible position change,” Bowden explained.
However, not all big-name targets remain on the table. Reporter Jon Heyman revealed that the Pirates have no intention of trading star pitcher Paul Skenes, despite speculation that the Yankees were leading contenders to acquire him.
“A source with the Pirates says there’s ‘no chance, no way, no how’ that Skenes will be traded,” Heyman wrote on X. “There may be some logic in exploring such a move, but teams rarely trade players with only one year of service time—especially those they plan to build around, like Skenes.”