Three moves the Yankees must make after losing Juan Soto

DALLAS – For the New York Yankees, there’s no relief in finding out that their brand – rich in history and weight of pinstripes – doesn’t matter much to Juan Soto. Monument Park called the slugger’s name all year long as he did Aaron Judge put together posting arguably the best offensive season in MLB history with teammates not named Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. A century later, Soto had a chance to build a Yankees legacy if he decided to spend the rest of his career on 161st Street.

But, make no mistake, this was not about loyalty. Judge’s decision to accept a minimum contract from the Yankees in his 2022 free agency was tied to a domestic odyssey in their system. Soto had no such authority over the franchise, and was free to explore 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 his 44 Hall of Fame innings, 27 championships, and 59 playoff appearances is a gut-wrenching performance.

That context is important as the team navigates their destination from here. If there is a world where losing Soto to the crosstown Mets (despite an equal contribution) would be good for the Yankees, then Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman should find a way to move there. As Steinbrenner said at last month’s owners’ meetings in Manhattan, “I know what’s expected of me.” After the fall of Soto, he is still expected to focus on a solid Plan B and make the most of the offseason by spreading the money he reportedly gave the top free agent in the market ($760 million over 16 years) among several different players. who can fill the holes in his team’s roster.

Let’s examine three areas the Yankees must address in order to revitalize their offseason with the ultimate goal of winning their first championship since 2009.

1. Outer space

Who will be roaming right field for the Yankees on Opening Day? A club can handle its Soto-sized hole in a few different ways. Judge could return to right field, where he has played most of his major league career. Jason Domínguez, the organization’s No. 1 prospect, may take over in center field, where he has played 239 minor league games compared to 58 games in left field and one game in right field.

Such a defensive formation would free up space for the Yankees to acquire free agent pitcher Teoscar Hernandez, who would be a perfect 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 in 154 games (second most on the Dodgers behind Shohei Ohtani), earning his third Silver Slugger award. The Yankees saw firsthand how impactful Hernandez can be this past season, first in June when he hit an eighth-inning grand slam to lead the Dodgers to a series win, and again in the World Series as he posted a .931 OPS during LA’s tenure. victory.

Without Hernandez, the Yankees could also look to reliever right fielder Anthony Santander and keep Judge in center while moving Dominguez to left. Santander, like Hernandez, is another power-hitting corner outfielder who has set career highs in home runs (44), RBIs (102), walks (58) and OPS (.814) over a full season. The Yankees have watched Santander dominate the Orioles in the AL East for the past eight years, and they would do well to flip the script there. But their commitment will have to increase and be longer on the deal for Santander, who is just 29, than Hernandez, who will receive a shorter contract as he is 31.

Either way, the Yankees need to find one of those two corner outfielders to replace Soto, because there is a significant drop in talent behind 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 an in-house guy, like Ben Rice, would have been the right approach to take if the Yankees were able to sign Soto. But since they didn’t, Cashman & Co. it should replace one of the top two bottoms on the market. Either Pete Alonso or Christian Walker could help fix Soto’s production in the lineup, but neither will come cheap. However, that should not be a problem. As noted, the Yankees should be looking at the top players on the market for the money Soto was originally offered. So, which direction makes the most sense for the Yankees now?

Let’s deal with Alonso’s argument first. The Yankees could turn Soto’s boos on the Mets by stealing the Polar Bear from Queens. It could bite the Mets, as Alonso is a big hitter, half the jerseys fans wear at Citi Field is his No. 20, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has said several times this offseason that they “would like to bring Pete back.” Outside of New York’s contention, Alonso is an obvious play for the Yankees and their hole at first base and in need of power. The 30-year-old is said to be seeking a long-term contract within five years, and the Yankees may have some concerns about Alonso’s defensive value toward the end of that deal, as his stats will ultimately be determined. the beater.

Then there’s Walker, who is four years older than Alonso, but has been significantly better and more consistent defensively throughout his career. Since 2019, Walker leads all first basemen in strikeouts above average (58), and no one is 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 significant improvement over what they were getting. (The last first baseman to hit a homer for the Yankees was shortstop DJ LeMahieu in July). Walker’s age could be a red flag for an impending decline, while Alonso prioritizes staying on the field. Only Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson have made more starts than Alonso since his 2019 debut.

These are the kinds of conversations the Yankees are having in this week’s winter meetings as they decide which direction to go. It is also clear that the club cannot wait long to make a decision given that the market for lower players is more than Alonso and Walker.

3. Starting to throw

Give credit to the Yankees for making sure Gerrit Cole stays in pinstripes after exercising his exit earlier this offseason. Attention has now shifted to the entire rotation, especially if the supporting cast is strong 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 second season after winning Rookie of the Year. Even with Gil’s help, the Yankees still have to shop at the top of the market in both free agency and the trade.

Starting with the latter, White Sox ace Garrett Crochet would be a great fit in the Bronx given his age (25) and trajectory. As reliever-turned-starter Clarke Schmidt proved, the Yankees are big fans of converted starters, and Crochet found immediate success in 2024 in his first full season in the rotation. The southpaw struck out 209 batters in 32 innings, posting a 3.38 ERA in 146 innings. Pairing him with Cole and Carlos Rodón would give the Yankees one of the best trios in baseball.

When looking at free agent starters, Corbin Burnes is widely considered the best option available. He will certainly be more expensive, but that shouldn’t be a problem with Soto’s departure. The 29-year-old ace is coming off his fourth straight All-Star season, this time with the Orioles, registering a 2.92 ERA and 1.096 WHIP over 32 innings and 194.1 innings. Aside from the obvious benefit of adding a star like Burnes to go along with a homegrown ace in Cole, his quick and smooth success with Baltimore after the trade shows he can thrive in a new environment (and league). That’s important to the Yankees as they look for players with a strong case to manage New York.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. He previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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