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.
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
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.
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.
3. Starting pitching
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.