The Yankees came into this offseason with one priority: re-signing Juan Soto. Not only was it their top objective, but it was also something that hovered over the franchise from the time they acquired Soto from the Padres last offseason all the way through their trip to the World Series this past October. So when Soto spurned the Bronx Bombers for the in-city rival New York Mets, it left many wondering what lay ahead for the Yankees.
While the narrative, at least initially, was that the Yankees lost out on the winter’s biggest catch, the best way to cut through that noise was always going to be improving a flawed roster. And with the Yankees having been arguably the most active team this offseason, that’s exactly what GM Brian Cashman and Co. have been doing.
Following Soto’s departure, the Yankees’ list of needs was long. It included an outfielder, a first baseman, a third baseman, at least one starting pitcher and multiple high-leverage arms. Filling that many holes in one offseason is a tall order, but it was going to be imperative for New York to try.
Well, the Yankees wasted no time in getting their post-Soto era rolling. Just days after the superstar outfielder signed, New York added arguably the best left-hander on this year’s free-agent market in Max Fried. In doing so, they gave him the largest contract for a left-handed starter in MLB history, at $218 million over eight years. Fried is one of baseball’s best southpaws, and adding him made the Yankees’ rotation, which was already a strength, even stronger. The two-headed monster of Gerrit Cole and Fried to go along with AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Carlos Ródon and Clark Schmidt makes for one of the best rotations in the sport.
To support their new-look rotation, the Yankees needed a strong relief core. After longtime reliever and high-leverage arm Clay Holmes joined Soto in Queens, the Bronx Bombers’ weakness in the bullpen became even more apparent.
Enter Devin Williams. Williams had been on the Yankees’ radar for a while, and sources told Yahoo Sports that New York nearly struck a deal for him last season. Second time was the charm, as the Yankees pulled off a swap with the Brewers to acquire the two-time All-Star closer. Now the Yankees have an electric arm at the back of their bullpen with the ability to strike hitters out at a high clip.
The Yankees’ next goal was boosting their offense, and while there is no recreating Soto in the aggregate, adding a mixture of power and athleticism is never a bad thing. The player who checked those boxes was Cody Bellinger. Once he became available via trade from the Cubs, it seemed likely that the Yankees would be the team to acquire him, and with Bellinger now in pinstripes, it’s easy to see why the 2019 NL MVP was a fit. His lofty left-handed stroke should produce power at Yankee Stadium, and his defensive versatility makes him valuable not only in the outfield but at first base as well.
Next on the Yankees’ list was adding a first baseman. After they received almost no offensive production from that position last season, the signing of Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year deal provides stability at first without a long-term commitment to the 37-year-old. Although his overall numbers took a dip in 2024, Goldschmidt’s second half should instill confidence that he has some good baseball left.
One of the biggest issues the Yankees had last season was that they didn’t play fundamentally sound baseball — defensively or on the basepaths. Those weaknesses reared their ugly head at the worst times throughout the postseason. Adding Bellinger and Goldschmidt obviously helps offensively, but with those moves, the Yankees also added two above-average defenders. And Bellinger’s presence should allow Aaron Judge to go back to right field, where he is an above-average defender.
It’s safe to say that New York will be a much improved team on defense. And if they’re able to add a third baseman to the mix, allowing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to go back to his natural position at second, that would make this team even stronger defensively.
Beyond the big moves the Yankees have made this offseason, the smaller moves from Cashman and Co. also look shrewd and could loom large during the season. For instance, trading catcher Jose Trevino for high-leverage arm Fernando Cruz. While Cruz had a 4.86 ERA in Cincinnati last year, his eye-popping 14.72 K/9 is something that could be harnessed into making him a key late-inning arm in front of Williams. Trevino was beloved in New York, but adding a potentially game-changing arm was worth the trade.
To be clear: Missing out on Soto was a massive disappointment and a big blow for the Yankees going forward. But the past two months have made it clear that they weren’t going to let the loss of Soto hang over their heads all winter. Instead, they haven’t just addressed some of their needs; they’ve addressed almost all of them, and they’ve shored up multiple areas of weakness that cost them throughout the 2024 season and postseason. Between now and Opening Day, their only remaining task is to add a third baseman to further solidify their roster.
After a busy start to the winter, the New York Yankees are a better team today than they were at the end of the 2024 season, and while that doesn’t guarantee a return to the World Series, the Bronx Bombers have given themselves the chance to get there again.
