There’s no question that the Yankees took a big hit when they lost Juan Soto, but it doesn’t mean they can’t win without him.
Soto helped them get back to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, but even with his dominant left hand bat, they were a top heavy lineup that was still too reliant on the home run.
When they lost Robinson Cano to free agency after the 2014 season, the Yankees overreacted with some signings that didn’t work out, including the Jacoby Ellsbury contract that hung over their heads for seven years.
So far, the moves they’ve made have been geared towards improving the pitching staff, with the additions of Max Fried and Devin Williams, but there’s still significant work to be done on the field beyond the mound, not to mention getting more athletic.
After heaping high praise on minor league second baseman Caleb Durbin, the Yankees used him in the deal for Williams but it’s a sign that Alex Bregman may be on their radar.
The Astros just acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Cubs as part of a deal for Kyle Tucker. Now, there is a report in the Athletic that Houston has “emerged as a serious suitor” for Nolan Arenado. A trade is not “believed to be imminent” at this time, but with Paredes on board and talk of trading for Arenado, Houston must believe that they will not be able to re-sign Bregman, who has been their third baseman since 2016.
The Yankees were in discussions for Tucker, but the Astros were asking for Luis Gil. The Yankees view the right hander as a potential ace, who is under control for the next five seasons. Tucker would’ve been a nice fit for the Yankees who need left handed hitting, but I don’t think they wanted to go down the road that they just traveled with Soto and give up a promising young arm for a one year rental.
The infield is in need of an overhaul. The Yankees need to fill holes at first, and potentially second or third base, depending on where they plan to play Jazz Chisholm.
Chisholm is a better fit at second base rather than third base and if Bregman is brought on board, that would be a significant upgrade to the infield defense.
Hard to believe, but Anthony Volpe will likely be the longest tenured infielder on the Yankees. Volpe’s splits last season show a pattern of maddening inconsistency.
In April and May, Volpe hit a combined .282 with 9 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs, 23 walks and 39 runs scored. May was his best month as he slashed .293/.347/.466 with an OPS of .812.
The final four months he hit .221 with 17 walks and 51 runs scored. In September, he slashed .177/.220/.212 with an OPS of .432. Volpe will be under pressure in 2025 to show some significant improvement in all facets of his game.
The Yankees have been in talks with the Cubs for left hand hitting Cody Bellinger. As mentioned above, the Yankees need left hand hitting to balance out the lineup and Bellinger, who can play centerfield and first base would be a nice fit for the lineup.
When it comes to getting more athletic, switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez could be a key component for the Yankees in 2025. The 21-year old, who struggled offensively, had not played a whole lot of left field before last season and he had some problems adjusting to a relatively new position. I thought Dominguez, who was putting in the work on his defense before games, got so caught up in trying to improve that it took away from his offense.
If Bellinger is acquired with the outfield in mind, I would consider playing him in left field because Dominguez would be better served playing his more familiar position of centerfield. An outfield of Bellinger, Dominguez and Aaron Judge, returning to right field, would give the Yankees a much better defensive outfield than they had last season.
Speaking of first base, the Yankees have been pursuing free agent first baseman Christian Walker. There’s been talk of the Yankees showing some interest in Pete Alonso, who is seeking an expensive multi year deal.
Alonso is not a Gold Glove type first baseman but he’s not the “butcher” that some are making him out to be at the position. Alonso’s glove is fine, it’s his arm and making throws to second where he struggles, but that can improve with the right coaching.
The Yankees may look for a less expensive option at first base and free agent veteran first baseman Carlos Santana may fit that bill.
Last season, Santana, who was the American League Gold Glove winner at first base, played 146 games at first base where he led the league in assists (92), committed only four errors all season long and tied for the league lead in defensive runs saved by first basemen.
Additionally, Santana, who will be 39 years old in 2025, is a switch-hitter who hit 23 home runs with 71 runs batted in. Santana is someone, while batting left handed, who could take advantage of the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium.
A one year deal with incentives and an option may be viable for both sides. Also, Santana was not eligible for a qualifying offer, so the Yankees would not have to give up any draft picks to sign him, as would be the case with Walker.
It’s true the Yankees overpaid for Fried, who has had some arm issues recently, but there was significant interest for one of the top left handers in the sport who has posted a career 3.07 ERA. Fried has made a minimum of 29 starts in four of the past five full seasons (excluding 2020) and would likely be penciled in as the #2 starter behind Gerrit Cole.
That lengthens what would be an attractive starting rotation with Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The Yankees would like to unload Marcus Stroman, but if they use Schmidt as trade bait, Stroman as the fifth starter is not so terrible.
Williams gives the Yankees a legitimate closer and moves Luke Weaver to the set up role, but there is still a need for some left handers in the bullpen.
The Yankees have not taken advantage of the new stolen base rules that have been in play the past two seasons. In game one of the World Series, Chisholm’s base stealing prowess set the Yankees up to manufacture the lead run in the top of the tenth but Freddie Freeman’s walk off grand slam made that a footnote.
The Yankees need to become less reliant on the long ball. When it comes to accomplishing that, some pundits say, “They’re not built that way.” Well they need to become a team that can put pressure on the opposing pitchers when they have men on base.
There’s no reason that players like Chisholm and Volpe can’t steal more bases or at least become a threat that will make opposing pitchers make mistakes to the rest of the lineup.
Soto is gone but, with the right improvements, the Yankees still have a roster that gives them a chance to defend their American League pennant and get back to the World Series.