The New York Yankees may have lost Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency, but they caught the biggest fish in the pond this offseason with Juan Soto.
Naturally, Soto asked the Yankees to send several quality pitchers to the San Diego Padres in exchange for a year of arbitration before hitting free agency next season. Soto is only 25 years old and in the midst of a Hall of Fame career, a player who is expected to remain in the Bronx for the foreseeable future. That said, there is a bright spot in the fact that the Yankees saved more than $300 million on Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year contract worth $325 million, a $50 million signing bonus and the Dodgers had to pay nearly $47 million to the Orix Buffaloes in a postal settlement.Owner Hal Steinbrenner will certainly save a pretty penny by not bringing in the star Japanese international pitcher, which should allow the team to play aggressively for Soto on a long-term contract. The Yankees are taking away a huge silver lining from the $300 million they saved on YamamotoThe Yankees offered Yamamoto a better contract, but he still refusedThe Yankees’ outfield prospect is emerging as a key trade pieceThe Yankees should extend Juan SotoLet’s not forget that Soto is having another dominant season, hitting .275/.410/.519, including 35 home runs, 109 RBI and a 155 wRC+. This isn’t just any 25-year-old, he’s a generational talent the Yankees added to bolster their batting order. He has his defensive shortcomings, but the Yankees can survive with him in a corner outfield position, especially since he should be an attractive hitting option next to Aaron Judge.Soto could get a deal in the region of $400 million, especially since Yamamoto, a pitcher who has never pitched in MLB before, got a deal worth more than $300 million. The Yankees need all their money to get the job done, and with a future Soto extension not going into effect until 2025, they will be closer to expiring several contracts. It’s worth noting that DJ LeMahieu’s contract expires after the 2026 season and Giancarlo Stanton has a $10 million buyout in 2028. In the short term, the Americans have to pay, but their long-term financial picture looks good .However, the team now needs to spend money on a starting pitcher to strengthen the rotation. Currently, only Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt are their main weapons. Available free agents include Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, while the trade market includes Shane Bieber, Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease. Burnes and Cease will be difficult to acquire, but the Yankees could sign Bieber at a reasonable price and reunite him with pitching coach Matt Blake. Bieber has some good performances, but he’s late in his career here.Ideally, they would sign one free agent and trade for another to help rebuild the rotation after trading away Michael King and their top prospect Drew Thorpe. The Yankees will need some of their talents to develop, including Will Warren and even Chase Hampton, who has had success
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