A 41st American League pennant is little consolation for the New York Yankees, who have to quickly move past the indignation of a Game 5 World Series collapse and position themselves for the start of free agency on Monday.
Within their ranks is the biggest free agent of them all, Juan Soto, who made it known just an hour or so after the Dodgers clinched a title at Yankee Stadium that he would be open to all 30 teams should they come knocking on his door this winter.
While that might not bode well for the Bronx Bombers, there is much more to contend with this offseason in hopes of tweaking the right corners of the roster to end a 15-year championship drought.
5 things to watch from Yankees as free agency begins
Juan Soto: The 26-year-old lefty is one of the main reasons why the Yankees emerged from the American League with the pennant this season, hitting a career-high 41 home runs to add to an already impressive resume.
We are looking at a player who is projected to receive the second most expensive contract in MLB history behind Shohei Ohtani — one that could very well eclipse $600 million, if not rise all the way up to $750 million, depending on the nature of the bidding war.
But just how involved will the Yankees be in this sweepstakes?
Hal Steinbrenner has often bristled at the notion of doling out huge contracts as of late. He just barely did so to hold off the San Francisco Giants two years ago to keep Aaron Judge after he hit 62 home runs in 2022. In May, he said that the team’s current payroll is not financially sustainable and adding another monster deal like Soto’s would not help ease that notion.
A player of Soto’s caliber does not come around too often, though, and the Yankees potentially letting him walk could be a decision that haunts them for years to come. Perhaps retaining him means paying the penalties that come with going over a competitive balance tax threshold or two, but ensuring one of the best young players in the game stays in the Bronx certainly appears to be worth it.
Who’s on first?: The Yankees declined the 2025 option on Anthony Rizzo’s contract, ending the 2016 champion’s three-plus-year tenure in the Bronx.
It leaves New York in the market for a first baseman, and if Soto walks, there could be a solution right on the other side of town. Mets slugger Pete Alonso is a free agent and will be hoping to reset the first base market this winter. While the $200 million deal he and his agent, Scott Boras, are looking for is likely out of the question, a suitable deal from the Bronx could coax Alonso to stay in New York if the Mets opt to direct the majority of their resources toward Soto.
Starting pitching: Ace Gerrit Cole opted out of the final four years of his contract, placing the ball solely in the Yankees’ hands. They have until 5 p.m. ET Monday to tack on a fifth year worth $36 million, or the veteran righty becomes a free agent.
Regardless, the Yankees have to bolster their starting rotation this season, anyway, even with Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes returning through arbitration, Luis Gil looking to build on an impressive rookie year, and Clarke Schmidt in the fold.
They lack a clear No. 2 option behind Cole, should he return. A free-agent arm like Corbin Burnes would rectify that issue.
Depth: The concept of a top-heavy lineup does not work anymore, even if it featured Aaron Judge, Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton — one of the greatest postseason Yankees of all time.
The bottom half of the Yankees’ lineup was a black hole when it mattered most, ensuring teams could pitch around the Bronx Bombers’ power trio and get away with it. They will have the opportunity to do just that with some notable names set to hit the free-agent market this winter. Second baseman Gleyber Torres and left fielder Alex Verdugo are poised to depart alongside Rizzo, allowing the flexibility for general manager Brian Cashman to find some important role players to supplement the big bats.
Who manages this team?: The Yankees hold an option next season for manager Aaron Boone, who has continuously dealt with questions about his future as the skipper in the Bronx.
If there was a time to move on from him, it likely would have been last season when they did not make the playoffs. But Boone’s managing tactics were called into question more than ever during the World Series.
He is lucky that Steinbrenner’s father is not running the team, but a 15-year championship drought might force Hal to take some drastic measures this winter.
