Late Sunday night, Juan Soto accepted a New York Mets contract worth up to 805 million dollars over 15 years. From the perspective of a Yankees fan, while this is frustrating, this isn’t the Yankees' fault. At times, Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner have been cheap, lazy, and overly conservative. However, this isn’t one of those times. Soto’s only deciding factor was the number on the check, and when Steve Cohen has 21 billion dollars, losing the bidding war is to be expected.
Nonetheless, the Yankees are left with several holes to fill. New York has to find an outfielder and two infielders, add depth to their bullpen, and improve their rotation. In preparation for the Soto stakes, the Yankees cleared up some space on their payroll. After missing out on Soto, they can spend that money elsewhere. With 96 million dollars between their current payroll allocations and the next luxury tax tier, the Yankees can take some big swings.
Position Players:
One of Juan Soto’s biggest contributions to the 2024 Yankees, was his diversity hitting in front of Aaron Judge. For multiple reasons, having a left-handed slugger with a high OBP hit in front of Judge, made it harder for opponents to play to Judge’s weaknesses. In accordance, the Yankees should look to replace Soto with a different lefty. Unfortunately, there’s only one Juan Soto. Hence, it would be wise for the Yankees to bring in two left-handed sluggers and have them hit on either side of their right-handed superstar. Three names have come up that match this description and the Yankees’ needs: Anthony Santander, Cody Bellinger, and Kyle Tucker.
Santander is a free-agent corner outfielder, and switch-hitter, who hit 32 home runs against right-handed pitching last season. Considering his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, recently signed a different corner outfielder, Tyler O’Neill, Santander will likely find a new home this offseason. Cody Bellinger is a left-handed slugger on the Chicago Cubs, who plays all outfield positions and first base. Bellinger can hit for both power and average, and his versatility would give the Yankees great flexibility. Many reports have linked Bellinger to a potential trade. The most insightful report was from Bruce Levine of 670 the Score. Levine said that the Cubs are looking to trade bullpen help and a catcher at the upcoming winter meetings. Levine added that the Cubs are willing to part ways with Bellinger for the right price and that the Yankees, Mariners, and Astros have contacted the Cubs regarding Bellinger. Kyle Tucker is a left-handed slugger on the Houston Astros and plays right field. Tucker is one of the most well-rounded left-handed hitters in the MLB and his swing fits perfectly with the short porch in Yankee Stadium. Tucker is the closest the Yankees can come to replacing Juan Soto. With Tucker becoming an unrestricted free agent after next season, there was some speculation about him potentially being traded. On Monday, said speculation was confirmed when Astros’ general manager, Dana Brown told reporters that he’s willing to listen to offers for Kyle Tucker. Nonetheless, it will be hard for the Yankees to get Tucker, because I assume that the Astros would prefer to trade him to a team in the National League.
Christian Walker is also a great option for the Yankees. Walker is one of the top first basemen in the free agent market. While he is right-handed, he hits for reverse splits and launched 22 home runs off of righties in 2024. Walker has won a Gold Glove in each of the past three years. After the Yankees' defensive collapse in the World Series, they need to add a defensive rock, like the reliable Christian Walker.
Due to the high number of areas that are to be addressed, I expect the Yankees to break camp with Caleb Durbin as their starting second baseman. Durbin has been in the Yankees’ system for a couple of years, and until recently wasn’t regarded as a high-end prospect. However, at some point in 2024, Durbin made an adjustment to his swing and things clicked. The Yankees promoted him to AAA where he shined. In 82 games in AAA, Durbin hit 10 home runs, and put up an OBP slightly under .400, for a combined OPS of .867. The Yankees starting second baseman last year, Gleyber Torres, put up an OPS of .709. If Durbin can convert his AAA OPS of .867 to an MLB OPS of .710 or higher, he’ll be an upgrade over Torres. In addition, Durbin is a threat to steal, which the Yankees lacked in 2024. I would love to see Durbin batting 9th and two out of the four names mentioned above in the 2 and 4 holes in the Yankees’ 2025 lineup.
Pitching Staff:
The Yankees’ rotation wasn’t bad in October, but they didn’t do enough. In the World Series, outside of Gerrit Cole, the Yankees rotation averaged 3.1 innings per start, for an ERA of 9.00. In addition, the bullpen that they relied on, is falling apart. Clay Holmes signed with the Mets, and Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill are also in the free-agent market. The Yankees must sign a reliever or two, ideally their guys from last year, and add a reliable starter.
Per Michael Kay, the Yankees had a 90-minute Zoom meeting with left-handed starter, Max Fried. The meeting was very productive and didn’t end before Fried and the team scheduled their next meeting. Due to injuries early in his career, Max Fried has a reputation as an injury-prone pitcher but has only had one major IL stint in the past 4 years. During these four years, Fried has made 101 starts, for a record of 47W-25L and an ERA of 2.86. For some context, over the past 4 years, Gerrit Cole has made 113 starts, for a record of 52W-25L and an ERA of 3.14. Max Fried is one of the most underrated pitchers in the MLB and creating a one-two punch of Cole and Fried would return the Yankees’ status of World Series contenders.
After signing Fried the Yankees should move Luis Gil to the bullpen. When Gil and the rotation struggled in June, rumors about Gil potentially being moved to the bullpen began to grow. I hope the Yankees follow through and make this move, for several reasons. Gil won AL Rookie of the Year because he has great stuff, but he struggles with injuries and command. Both of those struggles are often caused by struggles with stamina and longevity. I believe that transitioning Gil to the bullpen would solve both of his issues. In addition, at 97 miles per hour, Gil’s four seem fastball is already a great pitch. If Gil didn’t have to worry about getting through 5 or 6 innings and could empty the tank in one inning, I believe his fastball would become even better. With Gil in the pen, the Yankees wouldn’t have to be as concerned about bringing back their relievers from last year. With Freid in the rotation, they could afford to move Gil to the bullpen. New York would have Rodon and Schmidt as their 3rd and 4th starters and have Stroman, Cortes, and Cody Poteet battle for the 5th spot in spring training.
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