DALLAS — For the New York Yankees, there is no relief in discovering that their brand — the rich history and the weight of the pinstripes — mattered little to Juan Soto. Monument Park was calling the slugger’s name all year as he and Aaron Judge combined to post arguably the best offensive season in MLB history by teammates not named Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. A century later, Soto had the opportunity to build a Yankees legacy had he decided to spend the remainder of his career on 161st Street.
But, make no mistake, this wasn’t about loyalty. Judge’s decision to accept a lesser contract offer from the Yankees in his 2022 free agency was connected to his homegrown odyssey through their system. Soto owed no such fealty to the franchise, and he was free to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Yankees organization with an open mind during his 2024 season in the Bronx. No matter how the Yankees slice it, Soto looking beyond their 44 Hall of Fame players, 27 championships, and 59 playoff appearances is a gut punch.
That context matters as the team navigates where to go from here. If there’s a world where losing Soto to the crosstown Mets (despite a nearly equal offer) can be a positive for the Yankees, then Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman must find a way to migrate there. Like Steinbrenner said at last month’s owners’ meetings in Manhattan, “I know what’s expected of me.” After the Soto fallout, he is still expected to pivot to a strong Plan B and make the most of the offseason by spreading the finances he reportedly offered the top free agent on the market ($760 million over 16 years) between a few different impact players who could fill his club’s glaring roster holes.
Let’s examine three areas the Yankees must address to revive their offseason with the ultimate goal of winning their first championship since 2009.
1. Outfield
Who will be roaming right field for the Yankees on Opening Day? The club might handle its Soto-sized hole a couple of different ways. Judge can move back over to right, where he’s played the most games in his major-league career. Jasson Domínguez, the organization’s No. 1 prospect, could take over in center field, where he’s played 239 minor-league games versus 58 games in left field and one game in right.
Such a defensive formation would free up space for the Yankees to acquire free-agent left fielder Teoscar Hernandez, who would be a terrific fit in the Bronx after his strong season with the championship Dodgers. Hernandez set career highs in home runs (33) and walks (53), all while playing 154 games (second-most on the Dodgers behind Shohei Ohtani), earning his third career Silver Slugger award. The Yankees saw firsthand how impactful Hernandez can be this past season, first in June when he swatted an eighth-inning grand slam to propel the Dodgers to a series win, and then again in the World Series as he posted a .931 OPS during L.A.’s triumph.
Beyond Hernandez, the Yankees could also go for free-agent right fielder Anthony Santander and keep Judge in center while shifting Dominguez to left. Santander, like Hernandez, is another power-hitting corner outfielder who set a career high in home runs (44), RBIs (102), walks (58) and OPS (.814) in a full season. The Yankees have watched Santander rake on the Orioles in the AL East for the past eight years, and it would be ideal for them to flip the script there. But their commitment would likely have to be higher and longer on a deal for Santander, who is just 29, than they would for Hernandez, who figures to land a shorter contract since he’s 31.
Either way, the Yankees need to land one of those two corner outfielders to replace Soto, because there’s a huge drop-off in talent after them.
[RELATED: How the Mets plucked Juan Soto from the Yankees | Ten biggest contracts in MLB history: Juan Soto’s $765 million with Mets tops list]
2. First base
Replacing Anthony Rizzo with someone in-house, like Ben Rice, would’ve been a fair path to take had the Yankees managed to sign Soto. But since they didn’t, Cashman & Co. should be going for one of the two top first basemen on the market. Either Pete Alonso or Christian Walker could help make up for Soto’s production in the lineup, but neither of them will come cheap. That shouldn’t be a problem, though. As noted, the Yankees should be going for players at the top end of the market with the money that was originally offered to Soto. So, which direction makes the most sense for the Yankees now?
Let’s tackle the Alonso argument first. The Yankees could respond to Soto bolting to the Mets by stealing the Polar Bear from Queens. It would definitely sting for the Mets, since Alonso is a homegrown slugger, half the jerseys that fans wear around Citi Field are his No. 20, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has said multiple times this offseason that they “would love to bring Pete back.” Beyond the New York rivalry, Alonso is an obvious match for the Yankees with their hole at first and need for power. The 30-year-old is said to be looking for a long-term contract in the range of five years, and the Yankees might have some concerns about Alonso’s defensive value toward the end of that deal, as his eventual role figures to be designated hitter.
Then there’s Walker, who is four years older than Alonso, but has been markedly better and more consistent on defense throughout his career. Since 2019, Walker leads all first basemen in outs above average (58), and nobody is even close to sniffing that kind of defensive value. At the plate, Walker doesn’t have Alonso’s power numbers, but his 95 homers over the past three seasons would represent a notable upgrade from what they’ve been getting. (The last first baseman to homer for the Yankees was fill-in DJ LeMahieu — in July). Walker’s age could be a red flag for an upcoming decline, whereas Alonso prioritizes staying on the field. Only Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson have played more games at first base than Alonso since his 2019 debut.
These are the types of discussions the Yankees brass are having at this week’s winter meetings as they determine which direction to go. It’s also clear that the club can’t wait too long to make a decision given how weak the market for first basemen is beyond Alonso and Walker.
3. Starting pitching
Give credit to the Yankees for making sure Gerrit Cole stayed in pinstripes after he exercised his opt-out earlier this offseason. The attention has now shifted to the rest of the rotation, particularly whether the supporting cast is solid enough to be a dominant force in the playoffs. The emergence of Luis Gil was a huge boon for the staff, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on that success in his sophomore season after winning Rookie of the Year. Even with Gil’s help, the Yankees should still be shopping at the top of the market in both free agency and trades.
Starting with the latter, White Sox ace Garrett Crochet would be a great fit in the Bronx given his age (25) and trajectory. As evidenced by reliever-turned-starter Clarke Schmidt, the Yankees are big fans of converted starters, and Crochet immediately found success in 2024 in his first full season in a rotation. The southpaw struck out 209 batters across 32 starts, posting a 3.38 ERA in 146 innings. Saddling him with Cole and Carlos Rodón would give the Yankees one of the better pitching trios in baseball.
Looking at free-agent starters, Corbin Burnes is widely viewed as the best option available. He’ll certainly be the most expensive, but that shouldn’t be an issue with Soto’s departure. The 29-year-old ace is coming off his fourth consecutive All-Star season, this time with the Orioles, registering a 2.92 ERA and 1.096 WHIP across 32 starts and 194.1 innings. Beyond the obvious advantage of adding a star like Burnes to complement the in-house ace in Cole, his immediate and smooth success with Baltimore after being traded demonstrates that he can excel in a new environment (and league). That’s important to the Yankees as they look for players who have the rock-solid demeanor to handle New York.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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