Soto, first base and bullpen. What the Yankees need to do this offseason

Free Agents OF Juan Soto and SP Roki Sasaki

After one of the most highly anticipated Yankee season’s in recent memory, the Yankees find themselves in a crucial offseason looking to improve from their World Series collapse. It was the team’s first World Series appearance since 2009, and it ended with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” playing while the Los Angeles celebrated a championship win at Yankees Stadium. A New York Tragedy. However, this offseason has the potential to continue the detriment against Yankees fans, or provide a light to a dark tunnel. Yankees superstar OF Juan Soto is the big fish in the market and is looking to command a big money contract. Soto is a client of the notorious Scott Boras, known for his ability to secure such contracts for his clients. The 26-year old superstar has already announced that he’s available all 30 MLB teams, showing no loyalty or discount for the Yankees. If he returns, it won’t be as a “Yankee” but it’ll be as a hired mercenary. That is unless something drastic were to happen like when Alex Rodriguez fired Scott Boras as his agent and re-signed with the Yankees because he wanted to a Yankee, and the late great George “The Boss” Steinbrenner wasn’t Boras’ biggest fan. The Yankees also have many holes to fill, including the infield and the bullpen. They’ll need a 1B to replace Anthony Rizzo, a 2B to likely replace Gleyber Torres and a closer because Luke Weaver shouldn’t be relied on as the only option. Here are Yankees free agents:

• OF Juan Soto, expected AAV: $40M

• 2B Gleyber Torres, expected AAV: $12M

• RHP Clay Holmes, expected AAV: $9.5M

• OF Alex Verdugo, expected AAV: $13M

• 1B Anthony Rizzo, expected AAV: $3M-$5M

• LHP Tim Hill, expected AAV: $2M-$3M

• RHP Jonathan Loáisiga, expected AAV: $2M

• RHP Tommy Kahnle, expected AAV: $6M

Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner has made it clear the goal is to stay under $300M for the payroll. With the payroll already expected to be at $235M, that leaves the Yankees with $65M to burn. I’m going to project that they find a way to load off the DJ LeMahieu contract elsewhere, so let’s add $15M. Yankees enter the market with $80M to spend on the marquee free agents. These are the free agents, I project them to land:

• OF Juan Soto: 15 years, $700M ($46.6M AAV)

  • The Juan Soto sweepstakes is a bid the Yankees cannot afford to lose. The other teams making a strong push for Soto are the Mets, Blue Jays and Dodgers. You cannot allow Soto to depart for the crosstown rival, the spotlight in New York will flip immediately. If he were to go to the Blue Jays, you face multiple times a year and he’s a divisional rival. And the worst, if he goes to LA, you can skip the season because they’ll repeat. However, I think LA is the least likely because it’s hard to imagine Soto would join the team he couldn’t beat. Steinbrenner, it’s time to pay up again and you can’t go wrong paying a 26-year old lefty superstar that rises when the lights get brightest. If the Yankees offer is close to the Mets’, I can see Soto choosing the Bronx over Queens.

• SP Roki Sasaki

  • I think this another LA-NY battle, like it will be for many of these free agents. Most of the Japanese phenoms coming into baseball have signed in LA and Sasaki could very well do the same. I think it’ll come down to the Dodgers, Angels and Yankees. The Yanks and Angels have the most to offer in pool money out of the three, but the Dodgers could present Ohtani and Yamamoto in a meeting with a World Series championship. It’ll be Sasaki’s choice but I think the Yanks come away with Sasaki.

• 1B Carlos Santana: 1 year, $5M

  • Although the rumors of Christian Walker has continued to swirl, the Soto contracts puts them at a limitation. And Santana is coming off a gold glove season and momentarily fills the hole at first base. It gives you flexibility to try out young players like Ben Rice at 1B because of Santana’s age and how much he’s getting paid.

• LHP Tim Hill: 1 year, $1.8M

  • This is a no-brainer, bring back a good bullpen piece. Play him against Freeman.

• RHP Jonathan Loáisiga: 2 years, $5M ($2.5M AAV, club option)

  • Loáisiga had an injury riddled season and didn’t pitch past April, give him a shot to return. If he’s re-signed they’ll package it into a two year deal with a club option after the first to allow him to rehab and see where he’s at career and injury wise.

• RHP Carlos Estevez: 2 years, $22M ($11M AAV)

  • The Yankees need severe bullpen help and they’ll get some with Estevez. Tanner Scott is the big name reliever on the market but it feels too good to be true for the Yankees and this move gives them more flexibility in money spending. It was reported they are interested in Esteves and I think they land. Hypothetically, they’d be able to land both and only be over the $300M by a few, but I don’t think they’ll do it.

• UTL Enrique Hernandez: 1 year, $3M

  • This move would help this team, so much. Hernandez would be the perfect Yankee, the fire he brings and the flexibility he’d give this lineup would be unmatched. He’s a wiser Oswaldo Cabrera and is clutch in the postseason. He can also be the solution to second base.

• RHP Clay Holmes: 2 years, $18M + club option ($9M AAV)

  • Although I personally don’t think they should spend more than a certain amount for Holmes, the potential to have him as a middle relief or set up pitcher is tremendous. I’d do it.

So these moves all amount to about $79M, which would place the Yankees at $298M for the 2024 payroll. This would be my 2024 lineup and rotation:

Lineup:

1. 3B Jazz Chisholm

2. LF Juan Soto

3. RF Aaron Judge

4. DH Giancarlo Stanton

5. 1B Carlos Santana

6. C Austin Wells

7. SS Anthony Volpe

8. CF Jasson Dominguez

9. 2B Enrique Hernandez/Caleb Durbin/Oswald Peraza

Rotation:

1. RHP Gerrit Cole

2. LHP Carlos Rodon

3. RHP Luis Gil

4. RHP Roki Sasaki

5. LHP Nestor Cortes Jr.

The pitching is stacked and the lineup has potential. I’d like to see the Yankees go with a young guy at second base but if they want to stick with an older veteran, Enrique Hernandez is the guy. The trade market for second base doesn’t hold much of value outside of Bo Bichette, I’d rather play a young guy. An interesting idea would be to finally tell Judge it’s time to move to first base and have Spencer Jones finally play, his value is declining by the day and the Yankees have to decide if he’ll play or be traded. If they trade for a big name 2B, Jones or Jasson will have to be involved.

The 2024 Offseason will be crucial for the Yankees, will they fail to rise to the occasion once again…