7 free agents the Yankees may consider after losing Juan Soto to the Mets

There’s no sugarcoating it: Losing Juan Soto as a free agent is a major blow to the New York Yankees’ hopes of returning to the World Series in 2025.

Despite his deficiencies as a defender and baserunner, Soto still posted an impressive 8.1 fWAR in 2024 and finished third in American League MVP voting, behind only Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr It’s possible to replace that level of performance, but it’s clear that keeping Soto — and bringing in additional players in free agency — would have been the ideal strategy for the Yankees this offseason.

Now that the New York Mets are signing Soto for the 15th time–year, $765 million deal on Sunday, the Yankees are forced to pivot. Since trading for Soto last December, the front office’s mission has been clear: lock the superstar outfielder to a long-term contract that would make him a Yankee for life. You have failed. And now they must answer an angry fan base that has expressed all season long their desire to see Soto back in pinstripes at any cost.

While it’s not a perfect comparison – Soto is clearly the superior player – the situation is reminiscent of the Yankees’ loss of second baseman Robinson Canó to the Seattle Mariners in 2013. At that time, the Yankees responded by signing a number of high-priced free agents: Carlos Beltrán, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka. But the lesson they’ve learned is that signing multiple players isn’t always the best approach.

So where do the Yankees go from here? Here are the free agents they should consider:

Corbin Burnes, SP

Now that the Yankees’ offense has suffered a significant setback, their focus should shift to solidifying their starting rotation as the best in baseball. Signing Corbin Burnes would, on paper, give the Yankees the most dominant one-two punch in the American League. Combining Burnes and Gerrit Cole would create a formidable duo that can neutralize even the strongest attacks in the game. A rotation with Cole, Burnes, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and either rookie of the year Luis Gil or Nestor Cortes would be downright nasty.

Corbin Burnes, Frisbee sweeper at 84 mph. 🥏

21 inch horizontal break. pic.twitter.com/9ERXwyqzCz

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 1, 2024

Acquiring Burnes, with whom the club met via video conference, could also open the door for the Yankees to trade either Gil or Cortes, potentially filling lingering needs in the infield or outfield. Trading Gil at the peak of his value could provide the team with a significant return.

Burnes, 28, finished the 2024 season with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts for the Baltimore Orioles. He also had success against AL East opponents, posting a 2.79 ERA in division games.

It would be a smart move for the Yankees to double their already strong starting rotation in 2024.

Max Fried, SP

Fried would be a step down from Burnes, but he would still be an excellent No. 2 option behind Cole. Fried had his highest ERA since 2019 last season, sitting at just 3.25. The big concern with signing Fried is his durability. Only twice in his career has he made more than 30 starts.

Fried doesn’t rely on strikeouts to be one of the best starters in the sport; Instead, he’s one of the best at making soft contact with the ground – you can think of him as the opposite of Rodón. But if the Yankees had a choice between Burnes and Fried, they should try the former first. Like Burnes, the Yankees met with Fried via video conference. The Yankees may also have some special insight into Fried. Omar Minaya, special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman, was the San Diego Padres’ senior vice president of baseball operations when they selected Fried seventh overall in 2012.

Christian Walker, 1B

First base was a glaring weak point for the Yankees in 2024.

Anthony Rizzo saw his power waning, Ben Rice was still adjusting to a position he had little experience with, and DJ LeMahieu struggled to stay out of the ranks of MLB’s worst hitters. First base is undoubtedly one of New York’s biggest needs this offseason.

Christian Walker posted a solid 119 wRC+ while winning the National League Gold Glove Award in 2024. At 34 years old, committing to a contract of three years or longer carries some risk, but Walker showed last season no signs of slowing down. Its advanced metrics were better overall in 2024 than in 2023.

Had the Yankees re-signed Soto, Walker would have been a natural next target in free agency. But even without Soto, Walker should still be a priority. The Yankees currently lack a clear internal option to fill the void at first base.

Alex Bregman, 3B

Bregman was part of the infamous 2017 Houston Astros fraud, which general manager Brian Cashman has condemned at every opportunity. However, Cashman has also made it clear that he is not “Astros-phobic” when it comes to potentially signing players from this group. Two years ago, the Yankees added utility man Marwin González, whose numbers rose dramatically during the Astros’ 2017 season.

Bregman has several high-level backers within the Yankees organization who point to his leadership and postseason pedigree as key factors that would immediately strengthen the team. The 31-year-old Bregman is expected to receive a contract worth close to $200 million. Although such a financial commitment carries risks, Bregman has been a consistently productive 4+ fWAR player throughout his career.

Signing the Astros’ longtime third baseman would also allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move back to second base, a position where he is more comfortable and able to provide stronger defensive value.

Teoscar Hernández, OF

The Yankees had the opportunity to sign Hernández last offseason, but instead opted to trade for Alex Verdugo, who had the worst season of his career in 2024. Hernández has expressed a desire to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers after helping them win a World Series this year. However, now that the Yankees are losing Soto, they should make a concerted effort to keep Hernández off the West Coast.

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/BNZesu6zgX

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 9, 2024

Hernández is versatile, capable of playing either corner outfield spot and would provide much-needed power in the middle of the Yankees lineup. Even though he plays half of his games at Yankee Stadium, his off-base hit rate could decrease slightly – Dodger Stadium is more favorable for right-handers – but there are few other market options to replace Soto’s production.

Hernández finished 2024 with 33 home runs, 99 RBIs and a 134 wRC+. His 119 wRC+ in the postseason would have ranked fourth on the Yankees’ roster this year.

Tanner Scott, LHP and/or Jeff Hoffman, RHP

Luke Weaver is one of the best bargain players in the MLB heading into the 2025 season. He was dominant for the Yankees all season and shined as a closer after taking over the position from Clay Holmes in September. If the Yankees prefer to keep Weaver in a multi-inning role, they could spend big on top relievers on the market.

Tanner Scott, who played for both the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres in 2024, established himself as one of baseball’s elite left-handed hitters. He’s not just a left-handed specialist; Both right-handed and left-handed hitters hit under .200 against him over the last two seasons. Since the start of 2023, he has 188 strikeouts in 150 innings.

Jeff Hoffman, who recently played with the Philadelphia Phillies, has had a similar career to Weaver. After struggling as a starter, Hoffman resumed his career as a reliever in 2023. Over the last two years, he posted 12 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.94 WHIP.

Signing Scott or Hoffman would strengthen the Yankees’ bullpen and make them one of the most dominant backend duos in all of MLB.

(Top photo by Christian Walker: Norm Hall/Getty Images)