Yankees Eyeing Devin Williams, Kyle Tucker Amidst Payroll Flexibility
Bronx, NY – The New York Yankees are actively considering pursuing both milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams and Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker this offseason, despite Cody Bellinger opting out of his contract with the team. General Manager Brian Cashman indicated the Yankees are open to exceeding a $300 million payroll if the prospect arises, though he remained noncommittal on a firm budget.
The Yankees’ outfield situation currently includes Trent Grisham,with Jasson Dominguez and Aaron Judge also potential options.though, Judge’s recent performance hasn’t been strong enough to dissuade the team from seeking a notable upgrade like Tucker. Re-signing Bellinger also remains a possibility.
Currently, FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool estimates the Yankees’ 2025 payroll at approximately $260 million, with Grisham’s $22 million deal already factored in. the team’s payroll finished around $296 million in 2024, after exceeding $300 million in 2023. Cashman acknowledged that acquiring players like Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, or Bryan Williams will necessitate substantial, multi-year commitments.
The Yankees already have significant long-term financial obligations to Judge, Max Fried, Gerrit cole, and Carlos Rodon, all of whom are under contract through at least 2028. Despite these commitments, Cashman expressed confidence in the team’s ability to manage the payroll.”I think it could go both ways. So it just depends on how things shake out and what opportunities present themselves,” Cashman told reporters.”The job right now is to find out what’s available, and those all have different price points.There could be cheap players that are available that are good, or there could be very expensive players that are available that are good.“