There’s no sugarcoating it: Losing Juan Soto in free agency is a major blow to the New York Yankees’ hopes of returning to the World Series in 2025.
Soto, despite his shortcomings as a defender and base runner, still posted an impressive 8.1 fWAR in 2024 and finished third in the American League MVP voting, behind only Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Replacing that level of production is possible, but it’s clear that keeping Soto — and adding additional pieces in free agency — would have been the ideal strategy for the Yankees this offseason.
Now, with the New York Mets signing Soto to a 15–year, $765 million deal on Sunday, the Yankees are forced to pivot. Since trading for Soto last December, the front office’s mission was straightforward: lock up the superstar outfielder to a long-term deal that would make him a Yankee for life. They failed. And now they must answer an enraged fan base that has been vocal all season about its desire to see Soto back in pinstripes at any cost.
While it’s not a perfect comparison — Soto is clearly the superior player — the situation echoes the Yankees’ loss of second baseman Robinson Canó to the Seattle Mariners in 2013. Back then, the Yankees responded by signing a slew of high-priced free agents: Carlos Beltrán, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka. But the lesson they learned is that signing multiple players isn’t always the best approach.
So, where do the Yankees go from here? Here are the free agents they should consider:
Corbin Burnes, SP
Now that the Yankees’ offense has taken a significant hit, their focus should shift to solidifying their starting rotation as the best in baseball. Signing Corbin Burnes would give the Yankees, on paper, the most dominant 1-2 punch in the American League. Pairing Burnes with Gerrit Cole would create a formidable duo capable of neutralizing even the most potent offenses in the game. A rotation featuring Cole, Burnes, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and either Rookie of the Year Luis Gil or Nestor Cortes would be downright nasty.
Corbin Burnes, Frisbee 84mph Sweeper. 🥏
21 inches of horizontal break. pic.twitter.com/9ERXwyqzCz
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2024
Acquiring Burnes, whom the club has met with via video conference call, could also open the door for the Yankees to trade either Gil or Cortes, potentially addressing lingering needs in the infield or outfield. Trading Gil at the peak of his value could yield a significant return for the team.
Burnes, 28, finished the 2024 season with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts for the Baltimore Orioles. He also thrived against AL East opponents, posting a 2.79 ERA in division matchups.
Doubling down on what was already a strong starting rotation in 2024 would be a savvy move for the Yankees.
Max Fried, SP
Fried would be a step down from Burnes, but he would still make for an excellent No. 2 option behind Cole. Fried had his highest ERA since 2019 this past season, and it was just 3.25. The big concern with signing Fried is his durability. He’s eclipsed 30 starts just twice in his career.
Fried doesn’t rely on strikeouts to be one of the best starters in the sport; instead, he’s one of the best at generating soft contact on the ground — think of him as the opposite of Rodón. But if the Yankees had their pick between Burnes and Fried, they should try for the former first. Like Burnes, the Yankees also met with Fried via video conference call. The Yankees may also have some special insight into Fried. Omar Minaya, the special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman, was the San Diego Padres’ senior vice president of baseball operations when they drafted Fried seventh overall in 2012.
Christian Walker, 1B
First base was a glaring weak spot for the Yankees in 2024.
Anthony Rizzo saw his power evaporate, Ben Rice was still adjusting to a position he had little experience with, and DJ LeMahieu struggled to stay out of the ranks of MLB’s worst hitters. First base is unquestionably one of New York’s biggest needs this offseason.
Christian Walker posted a solid 119 wRC+ while also winning the National League Gold Glove Award in 2024. At 34 years old, there’s some inherent risk in committing to a contract of three years or more, but Walker showed no signs of slowing down this past season. His advanced metrics across the board were actually better in 2024 than in 2023.
Had the Yankees re-signed Soto, Walker would have been a natural next target in free agency. But even without Soto, Walker should still be a priority. The Yankees currently lack a clear internal option to fill the void at first base.
Alex Bregman, 3B
Bregman was part of the infamous cheating 2017 Houston Astros, which general manager Brian Cashman has condemned at every opportunity. However, Cashman has also made it clear that he doesn’t have “Astros-phobia” when it comes to potentially signing players from that group. Two years ago, the Yankees added utilityman Marwin González, whose numbers surged dramatically during the 2017 Astros’ season.
Bregman has several high-ranking supporters within the Yankees’ organization, who cite his leadership and postseason pedigree as key assets that would immediately strengthen the team. At 31 years old, Bregman is expected to command a contract approaching $200 million. While that kind of financial commitment carries risk, Bregman has been a consistently productive 4+ fWAR player throughout his career.
Signing the longtime Astros’ third baseman would also allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to slide back to second base, a position where he’s more comfortable and capable of delivering stronger defensive value.
Teoscar Hernández, OF
The Yankees had the opportunity to sign Hernández last offseason but opted instead to trade for Alex Verdugo, who had a career-worst season in 2024. Hernández has expressed a desire to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, having helped them win a World Series this year. However, with the Yankees now losing Soto, they should make a concerted effort to pry Hernández away from the West Coast.
TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/BNZesu6zgX
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 9, 2024
Hernández is versatile, capable of playing both corner outfield spots, and would provide much-needed power in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup. While playing half his games at Yankee Stadium might slightly reduce his extra-base hit total—Dodger Stadium is more favorable to right-handed hitters—there are few other market options to replace Soto’s production.
In 2024, Hernández finished with 33 home runs, 99 RBIs, and a 134 wRC+. His 119 wRC+ in the postseason would have ranked fourth on the Yankees’ roster this year.
Tanner Scott, LHP and/or Jeff Hoffman, RHP
Luke Weaver is one of the best bargain relievers in MLB heading into the 2025 season. He was dominant for the Yankees all season, excelling as the closer after taking over for Clay Holmes in September. If the Yankees prefer to keep Weaver in a multi-inning role, they could spend big on top-tier relievers in the market.
Tanner Scott, who pitched for both the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres in 2024, established himself as one of baseball’s elite left-handed relievers. He’s not just a lefty specialist; both righties and lefties hit under .200 against him over the past two seasons. He has 188 strikeouts in 150 innings since the start of 2023.
Jeff Hoffman, recently with the Philadelphia Phillies, shares a similar career trajectory with Weaver. After struggling as a starter, Hoffman resurrected his career as a reliever in 2023. Over the past two years, he’s posted 12 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.94 WHIP.
Signing either Scott or Hoffman would bolster the Yankees’ bullpen, giving them one of the most dominant backend duos in all of MLB.
(Top photo of Christian Walker: Norm Hall/Getty Images)
