Yankees Cannot Compensate For Loss This Winter, Hope To Be Had In (Future) Free Agents
We toss water on the fire in the Bronx this Winter as we discuss the future for the New York Yankees and why missing out on Juan Soto shouldn't force them to make ill-advised moves (this) free-agency.
Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract Sunday with the New York Mets, choosing the cross-town rivals over the New York Yankees. While the top priority of resigning Soto is now a failure, the initial doomsday reaction could not be further from reality for the Yankees. We will discuss addition by subtraction and potential options to keep the Yankees as the main powerhouse in the American League. More importantly, how they can still compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming years.
What Needs To Be Said
There is no player on the planet in any sport worth a 15 (or 16) year contract. As great as he is, there are extremely valid arguments as to why devoting 15 years for a single player can be seen as a bit absurd. Many of those arguments you can debate before even talking about Juan Soto specifically.
Did we all still want Soto? Of course, but there is something many have forgotten in this chase for the superstar and probably the most important. The Yankees just lost the World Series with him and it was not close. You can point that to the struggles of the offense as a whole, but that also shows the reality in which the team was not good enough and Soto himself could not change that.
Should they have taken down the force that is the Los Angeles Dodgers these claims for ‘guaranteed’ success if he returned would have depth, but even with Juan Soto, the Yankees still had a lot of work to do and money to spend.
What If He Did Sign?
To fully understand (and for some of you believe) how the Yankees could potentially benefit in the coming years without Soto, we need to explore the scenario of what if he did sign.
The Yankees could still lose three starters this off-season. Should they have signed him at the reported (non-deferred) price, the possibilities to improve upon those positions would’ve been slimmed greatly.
To start, the Yankees would’ve had to bring someone like Gleyber Torres back, use an in-house option at first base, start a young Jasson Dominguez (despite how loved Anthony Volpe is his inexperience has cost the Yankees multiple times), lose most of their bullpen to free-agency, and sign a mid-range bench player who would struggle as much if not more than Alex Verdugo.
All this while still needing a top-three rotation arm and having the ability to only give out one more larger contract this off-season. The Yankees would then have to wait until 2026-2027 to take on another larger contract, which by then Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will be…older (trying not to scare anyone with exact numbers).
The point? None of those moves would erase the current discrepancy between the Dodgers and Yankees from a talent perspective. This is something the Mets will have to also balance, for example. They could potentially lose Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Ryne Stanek, pay Pete Alonso, and deal with the defensive pairing of Starling Marte and Juan Soto. This for a team who also just gave up a historic amount of runs to the Dodgers in the NLCS.
Signing Soto comes with a price even more hefty than $750 million could show, and for a team like the Yankees who still have a lot of talent (and money), saving the money is something they can turn into a positive in the long run. The goal is still to produce a roster that can compete with the Dodgers and there are upcoming options to do that. Spending all the ‘Soto’ money this winter is not the time to spend all of it, however.
A Spending Spree To Compensate Is Not The Answer…Yet.
Unfortunately this will take some time. After Soto, this year’s free agency market is not as lavish as many are making it seem (shocker with how news has been lately, eh?). The attention has been on Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernandez, Willy Adames (signed with SFG), Christian Walker, Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell (signed with LAD), Alex Bregman, and Roki Sasaki (who is reportedly already looking towards the Dodgers).
Do not misunderstand, there are a couple of players the Yankees need to get here. However, it must be to compliment the signings they will try and make in 2025-2027.
Batters
On the topic of hitting, the Yankees had interest in Adames, as well as Teoscar Hernandez (who they know well from the Toronto Blue Jays organization), and Christian Walker as they need a first baseman. Anthony Santander is attracting multiple suitors as well. However, after losing Soto, adding just one of those bats would not be enough and would have to be paired with another signing possibly next off-season (which remember they only have enough money for about one of those names mentioned if they still want a pitching).
Pitchers
Pitching is much of the same situation. Snell is with the Dodgers, Yusei Kikuchi (not a top choice, but ideal for Yankees situation) went to the Los Angeles Angels, the Jack Flaherty bridge was burned during last year’s trade attempt. That leaves the likes of Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Sean Manaea, Nick Pivetta, and even a Nathan Eovaldi reunion for the Yankees to look at (this winter). Burnes and Eovaldi would be a realistic duo from that group (monetarily) and still, would not make up the talent deficit between them and the Dodgers. For example, a younger arm with plus quality like Pivetta (though not realistic) would be ideal from this group to pair along with some bigger names in the future.
If Not Now, When?
If you’re truly looking for the Yankees to fight fire with fire you won’t have to wait that long. Some enticing players will be available in the winter of 2025, and 2026-2027 is where you will want Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner to work any magic they have left.
Some notable free-agents, opt-out candidates, and players who haven’t signed extensions in that three-year span (no order):
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Dylan Cease
Kyle Tucker
Framber Valdez
Luis Robert Jr.
Luis Arraez
Zac Gallen
Freddy Peralta
Andres Munoz
Tarik Skubal
Justin Steele
Steven Kwan
Luis Rengifo
The list could go on, but even just those names mentioned are well worth the wait instead of going on a spending spree the rest of this winter to compensate for the Soto decision.
We will do a full 2025-2027 free-agency target list in the coming weeks!
Moving Forward
Even for the Mets, there is a common goal of beating the Dodgers and Juan Soto even with help evidently isn’t and wasn’t enough to do it. More moves need to be made to counteract the Dodgers additions they’ve already finished this winter.
Losing Juan Soto for the Yankees doesn’t hurt their chances for success as much as the Washington Nationals or even San Diego Padres, for example, despite it feeling that way right now. This is not to say losing out on Soto doesn’t go without some pain. It will take some time (and money) to fill the holes on offense he leaves open. However, it would be delusional to believe signing a 26 year-old player to 15 years of service at around $800 million won’t come with its own pains somewhere down the road as well.
There is plenty of talent available in the next couple of years for the Yankees to pair with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for the remainder of their careers. The Yankees latest rumored trade packages in recent years (as well as the Soto offer) show they are willing to go all in for the next superstar available in that time frame.
Fans can find comfort in knowing there are still paths to a championship on both sides of this deal, but it will take the Yankees (and Mets) more than this off-season to do it.