The New York Yankees could be working towards making a blockbuster deal to replace Juan Soto.
The Yankees lost Soto who signed a 15-year $765 million deal with the New York Mets. Since then, New York has turned to their Plan B and one potential option is Houston Astros star outfielder Kyle Tucker who is rumored to be on the trade block.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, if the Yankees are going to acquire Tucker, the Astros want Luis Gil to be part of the package.
“Astros want Rookie of the Year Luis Gil in package for superstar OF Kyle Tucker,” Heyman wrote on X.
Gil was an impact starter for the Yankees in 2024 and was named AL Rookie of the Year. He’s under club control for four more seasons. The starter would be the vocal point of the Tucker package, but New York likely would need to add more to the deal.
Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 29 starts with the Yankees in 2024. In the playoffs, the right-hander started two games with a 6.75 ERA.
Yankees Land Fried
Part of the reason why Gil’s name could come up in trade rumors is due to the fact they signed starting pitcher Max Fried.
New York signed the left-hander starter to an eight-year, $218 million deal to bolster its rotation. The Yankees now have Gerrit Cole, Fried, Carlos Rodon, Gil, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman all under contract, so trading a starter could make sense.
The Yankees are also focused on remaining a World Series contender, despite losing out on Soto in free agency.
“From the Yankees’ standpoint, no retreat, no surrender (after losing Soto),” GM Brian Cashman said. “We’ll get back after it, and find a way to put together a roster that our fans are going to be excited about. We want to defend that American League title and get back to the World Series and try to win it. So we’ll get after it.”
The Yankees’ first big move was singing Fried. The left-hander went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA with the Atlanta Braves in 2024.
Insider Claims New York is Very Interested in Tucker
The Yankees are in pursuit of Tucker to bolster its offense and replace Soto in the outfield.
According to New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the Yankees have been engaged in trade talks surrounding Tucker. The insider also believes a package involving Gil and Ben Rice is a good starting point for the Astros.
“What makes the Yankees fascinating is that an agreement with Max Fried gives them seven potential starters for next season,” Sherman wrote. “The thought is that would motivate them to trade Marcus Stroman to get out of as much of his $18 million owed next year as possible and/or Nestor Cortes, who will be entering his walk year. And that might happen.
“But because the top of the Yankee farm system is in a down cycle, they would have to get creative to acquire someone as talented as Tucker, and Houston is said to be very interested in AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. It is possible that Gil and Ben Rice could front a package that at least gets the Yankees to the table,” Sherman concluded.
Tucker hit .289 with 23 home runs and 49 RBIs. He’s under contract for one more season.
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