Report: Giants ‘engaged in talks’ with Astros over slugger Tucker originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Giants are scouring both the free agent and trade markets for roster upgrades this offseason.
After signing shortstop Willy Adames With a franchise-record seven-year, $182 million contract, San Francisco has its eyes on another big bat in the middle of the order.
The Giants, along with the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, are one of the teams “engaged in talks” with the Houston Astros over outfielder Kyle Tucker, the New York Post reported. Joel Sherman reported Wednesday.
Tucker, 27, is widely considered one of the game’s best power hitters and one of its best overall players.
In three seasons from 2021 to 2023, before his 2024 season was cut short due to a shin contusion, Tucker averaged nearly 30 home runs and 103 RBI per campaign, while posting an OPS+ of 147, 129, and 142 respectively in those three seasons.
Tucker is a career .274/.353/.516 hitter, a three-time MLB All-Star and has won Gold Glove (2022) and Silver Slugger (2023) awards.
That begs the question: Why would the Astros, a perennial World Series contender, want to trade perhaps their best player?
Tucker is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, and as Sherman points out, he’s primed to land a mega deal that could eclipse $300 or even $400 million next winter. That might be a price Houston isn’t willing to pay, so they might be open to moving him now and getting something in return.
Sherman also reported that the Astros are prioritizing major league-ready corner infielders and starting pitchers in any Tucker return, a possible indication that they are preparing to lose free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. San Francisco has plenty of young starters, but may not have the obvious high-end prospects in the infield aside from prospect and first baseman Bryce Eldridge.
It remains to be seen how motivated the Astros are to move Tucker, but it appears the Giants at least have interest in the slugging outfielder.
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