Five ways the Yankees can rebuild after Soto

Juan Soto helped Hal Steinbrenner and company reach the World Series last season. Now he’s a Mets. How could they begin to replace it?

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During the meetings of Juan Soto with the New York Yankees last month, one of the goals was to give Soto the opportunity to get to know a little more about owner Hal Steinbrenner, who is known among his employees as a respectful and deferential person, very different from his father, George Steinbrenner. Hal explained to Soto that part of the reason he hadn’t spent much time with the slugger was because he didn’t want to be a distraction to a player working in New York for the first time.

The general manager Brian Cashman He said at the time he made a trade for Soto a year ago that he understood it was a one-year rental and that Soto could go to another team as a free agent. Now that reality is here, and it happened in nightmarish fashion for Bronx fans: Hal Steinbrenner offered Soto more than double what they paid to retain Aaron Judge two winters ago, and Soto rejected him because of the New York Mets.

When George Steinbrenner ran the team, he never had a problem imposing himself on the players, to the point, of course, that his relationships with the players often hindered the work of his general managers and front office. George was used to getting his way and was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. Now, that’s a reputation not his son has, but Steve Cohen of the Mets, the richest owner in the sport.

Over the course of the last six weeks, the Yankees appear to have ceded their position as the game’s evil empire: surpassed by the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, surpassed by the hometown Mets by one of the best hitters in baseball history.

Now, however, they must move forward. And as the Yankees wake up on day one after their Juan Soto era, there are still plenty of good players available. If they focus on pitching, and that has typically been Cashman’s reflex in times of need, there are high-level starters ready to sign. The Yankees could aggressively pursue one or two experienced hitters and could stock up on bullpen help.

But the reality is that when Yankees manager Aaron Boone releases his 2025 Opening Day lineup, it will feel and look like less. Soto and Aaron Judge were in the conversation about the greatest hitting teammates in history, with their work compared to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, and most recently, the Ohtani trio. Betts-Freeman. Soto reached base nearly 300 times last season, and Judge hit 58 home runs and posted a 223 OPS+.

And next season, the ability at the top of the lineup will be diminished. Judge will almost certainly have fewer batters on base in front of him, and day to day, there will likely be fewer reasons for pitchers to feel obligated to work in the strike zone with him. An old saying goes that the best lineup protection comes in front of the batter, and with Soto’s excellence in getting on base, the opposing team’s pitcher, catcher and manager were often forced to go after Judge or take their chances. to an important comeback. No matter who bats ahead of Judge, that player probably won’t come close to replicating what Soto did for the Yankees.

Below is some of what the Yankees are considering as Plan B, with the focus on diversifying with some of the resources they had been willing to devote to Soto.

1.Judge will almost certainly move from center field to a corner, probably right field. Jasson Dominguez, Long considered the Yankees’ top prospect, he will get his first shot at center field next season.

The Yankees could consider someone like Anthony Santander or Teóscar Hernandez for an outfield spot, but given the makeup of their roster, defense may be a priority, especially with designated hitter plate appearances secured with Giancarlo Stanton.

They need a left fielder who can play that position capably at Yankee Stadium, where left field is the most challenging of the three outfield positions. Neither Santander nor Hernández are considered good outfielders. The Yankees could continue talks on Cody Bellinger a left-handed hitter who can play the outfield or first base.

2. Alex Bregman He could be a good option with his solid defense and experience. However, the perception of many evaluators is that Yankee Stadium is not ideal for Bregman, a right-handed hitter who would have to hit in the wide expanse that is left field in the Bronx. Maybe it’s a better fit for Houston (which is willing to offer Bregman a deal comparable to the one he Matt Chapman he obtained from the San Francisco Giants, 156 million dollars for six years), the Boston Red Sox (with the Green Monster) or the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Yankees did have interest in Willy Adames before Adames signed with the Giants, but they had to wait for negotiations with Soto to be resolved before committing to Adames.

3. Christian Walker He ticks a lot of boxes: He’s a power-hitting, Gold Glove-winning first baseman who has played in the American League East, having started his career with the Baltimore Orioles. In internal Yankee conversations, they have talked about continuing to develop Ben Rice at first base; Rice’s plate discipline was impressive after he was promoted to the major leagues.

Defensive metrics show that Pete Alonso He has become a better first baseman than anyone expected. But in the end, it seems highly unlikely that the Yankees will secure another right-handed hitter who could be destined to take at-bats as a designated hitter later on a long-term deal, given the presence of Judge and Stanton on the roster.

4. Yankees will consider free agents Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Walker Buehler, among others, hoping to build a formidable rotation, with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman, but they will have to compete with the Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and, yes, the Mets for any starting pitcher. Boston is committed to doing whatever it takes to compete next season, the Blue Jays are perceived to be working their butts off, and the Mets have acute needs in the rotation.

The Yankees spoke with the Chicago White Sox about Garrett Crochet last summer, but the two teams were far apart at the time, as the Yankees’ farm system didn’t have the type of position prospects the White Sox wanted.

5. The Yankees have excelled at building bullpens over the last decade and will need a lot of help. Clay Holmes signed with the Mets and Tommy Kahnle He is a free agent, so the Yankees need to add at least two relievers and up to four or five, with many free agents available. And the Yankees will continue to explore potential trade targets, such as Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley.

For the Yankees, the loss of Juan Soto appears to mean short-term pain and, perhaps, with the right decisions, long-term gain, as they avoid a contract that would inevitably have been onerous for their roster management. But in 2025, they are likely to look weak.