The New York Yankees are still in the mix for the services of All-Star right fielder Juan Soto. The 26-year-old free agent is the most coveted player in baseball as a number of teams attempt to woo him this offseason. But with an anticipated price tag of $600 million, the Yankees could fall short in a bidding war for Soto.
If New York can’t land the seventh-year veteran, the team will undoubtedly look to make a splash elsewhere. And SNY’s Andy Martino pointed out several players the Yankees could target if they whiff on Juan.
“For the Yankees all of a sudden there would be all of this uncommitted money to spend that they didn’t give to Soto that they’d expected to give to Soto. You can look at a pitcher like a Corbin Burnes or a Max Fried, who they’ve already talked to,” Martino said on Foul Territory Thursday.
“They’d be looking for a center fielder I would think because in a world without Soto, you’d be moving Aaron Judge back to right, where he’s much better defensively. The Yankees prefer a defensive center fielder in a perfect world so whether it’s Harrison Bader or a Harrison Bader type… Then they’d have to figure out first base too, and I’ll give you the same two names, Christian Walker and Carlos Santana. I don’t see Pete Alonso as a fit for the Yankees,” Martino added.
The Yankees hope to reunite superstars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge
It could be argued the Yankees would be better off using the money allocated to re-signing Soto to land a high-end starting pitcher, a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder and a power bat at first. New York never would have made the World Series in 2024 without Soto. But the team’s lack of top-to-bottom talent was exposed in the playoffs and ultimately exploited by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.
The Yankees are reportedly one of five teams vying for Soto. The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Dodgers are all considered contenders. While the Blue Jays are reported to have the highest offer, Toronto is not necessarily the frontrunner. Meanwhile, the Yankees are rumored to top out at a $550 million contract offer. Incredibly, that likely won’t be enough to bring Soto back to the Bronx.
Burnes and Fried are the top two starting pitchers on the market after Blake Snell inked a deal with the Dodgers. However, the free agent hurlers are expected to hold off on signing new contracts until after Soto’s deal is done.
At that point, the teams that missed out on the offseason’s biggest prize will be looking to pivot and will have plenty of cash to spend. And Burnes and Fried may not have to wait long as Soto could sign before the Winter Meetings begin or shortly after they end in mid December.
