A panel of MLB executives believes the New York Yankees are unlikely to re-sign Cody Bellinger this season. Instead of re-signing Bellinger, the Yankees are expected to go after Kyle Tucker, according to six of the 16 executives. It’s been months of speculating who the Yankees will eventually sign. And now, two insiders say Yankees fans are officially exhausted by all the shifting narratives.

As they pointed out on NYY UNDERGROUND, “The fan base is completely neutered. I could tell you right now, just from some of the discourse that we’ve had on Twitter and different places over the years.” The Yankees fans have put up with a lot throughout this season.

“These fan bases, I mean, they literally just regurgitate everything that Hal says, everything Cashman said, ‘Oh, you know, it’s just not realistic’ or whatever.”

It’s been said that when fans hear Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner or GM Brian Cashman say something isn’t realistic, they immediately take it as fact. However, they’re not obligated to tell the truth every time. “They can lie,” the insider insisted.

If you think about it, the Yankees offered a $760 million, 16-year offer to Juan Soto last offseason. That figure exceeds projected costs for re-signing Cody Bellinger (6 years, $165 million) and extending Kyle Tucker post-trade (10-12 years, $350-400 million).

They were perfectly willing to spend big back then.

In an ideal setup, the Yankees would bring in both Bellinger and Tucker. But with Trent Grisham returning to center field on a $22 million qualifying offer, that possibility is pretty much off the table now.

Moreover, Hal Steinbrenner hasn’t revealed what the Yankees’ 2026 payroll will look like. However, he did make one thing clear.

Steinbrenner isn’t planning to cut back from the $319 million they spent this year, even after another season without a World Series win.

It’s too soon to rule out whether the Yankees will re-sign Bellinger or not.

But for Kyle Tucker in particular, many analysts view his projected 10-year, $400 million price tag as beyond what the Yankees would likely be willing to pay.

Well, that’s undoubtedly good news for the Dodgers, though.

Dodgers get an edge in $427 million Kyle Tucker sweepstakes

Heading into the offseason, the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Dodgers looked like the three frontrunners in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes. They’re also among the few teams that can realistically afford him. According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, Tucker will land a massive $427 million deal.

Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that Kyle Tucker will be the Yankees’ “backup option” if Cody Bellinger leaves.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays just committed to Dylan Cease for 7 years and $210 million. It was a massive swing after falling short in the World Series. That kind of investment is likely to take them out of the running for another major contract. That gives the Dodgers an even stronger edge in the Kyle Tucker chase.

The Dodgers now look like the clear favorites to land the former Cubs slugger. Only a few teams can match the Dodgers’ spending power, and they’ve never been shy about using it.

As for the Yankees, they still seem torn between Tucker and Cody Bellinger. But with Toronto shifting its focus to pitching, the path is suddenly much clearer for Los Angeles to step in and secure the former Cubs star.