Injuries, though, have plagued Woodruff. He underwent major shoulder surgery in October 2023. He missed the entire 2024 MLB season and the first three months of 2025. When Woodruff came back in July, he ended up going 7-3 with a 3.20 ERA. But a right lat injury put Woodruff out of the Brewers' late-season push to the NL playoffs.

Now this would be a nifty gambit: The Yankees lose Soto, rebuild around new ace Max Fried, win 94 games – and then land Tucker a year later. Heck, even a $450 million deal would ensure the Yankees got Tucker for $97 million less than Soto alone.

The New York Yankees added several players to the team's 40-man roster to protect them from being selected by other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft ahead of Tuesday's deadline.