The New York Yankees are eager to start their offseason by bringing back superstar outfielder Juan Soto. However, if they’re unable to do so, they reportedly have a more complex backup plan in place.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported on Monday that if the Yankees are unable to sign Juan Soto, they will focus on upgrading several positions. Soto is anticipated to secure the biggest contract of any free agent this offseason, potentially in history.
The Yankees are one of five teams, alongside the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers, that have already met with Juan Soto in Southern California this month. If they miss out on Soto, the Yankees could have significant funds to address other roster needs for 2025. According to Bob Nightengale, one potential backup plan could involve signing free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, adding either Willy Adames or Alex Bregman at third base, moving Jazz Chisholm to second base, trading for Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger, and using remaining money to sign pitchers like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, or Blake Snell. However, all of these free agents are also linked to other teams, and there’s no guarantee the Yankees can smoothly transition away from their pursuit of Soto.
This isn’t an urgent issue, however. Buster Olney of ESPN reported on Twitter/X that teams will begin submitting offers to Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, this week. The latest update provides a helpful framework for how the Soto sweepstakes might unfold. Teams with the financial means to sign him will need to adjust quickly and will have the resources to do so if Soto decides to sign elsewhere.
The timeline for Juan Soto’s signing is crucial. The longer he delays making a decision, the longer teams that view him as their “Plan A” will hold off on addressing other offseason needs. This could slow down the already sluggish free-agent market in baseball. Soto played a key role in helping the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009. Batting ahead of American League MVP Aaron Judge, he hit 41 home runs, scored a league-leading 128 runs, drove in 109 RBIs, and reached base at a .419 clip in his first season with the team.
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