That’s the question Yankee fans are asking, after Juan Soto signed with the Mets last night. The future Hall of Famer traded in Yankee pinstripes for the orange and blue to the tune of 15 years at $765 million, a record breaking free agent contract. Almost a year to the day of the anniversary of his trade to the Bronx, this move now equates to a seismic shift in New York baseball. Steve Cohen bought the Mets to make them a Bonafide powerhouse, and he has done just that with this move.
Cohen has hired a top class GM, who is in the process of strengthening his organization at all levels. He has hired a manager who worked through early struggles to grow a winning culture that can win now. And he has assembled a roster that is already solid and will likely improve in the near term, with other additions besides Soto. The Mets simply put, have beaten the Yankees at their own game from about 20 years ago. I take no pleasure in writing that sentence as a Yankee fan but this isn’t “the evil empire” anymore. The Bombers must now pivot quickly to avoid major regression, which is what I want to spend my time on now.
Let me start by saying I don’t blame Hal Steinbrenner or anyone else in charge of the Yankees for Soto not returning. Those of you that know me have no doubt heard me say earlier this offseason that I would be enraged if they “bailed out” at a lower dollar amount. The Yankees didn’t do that at all in this case. They offered Soto 16 years ago $760 million, they have nothing to hang their head about in this quest. But there is a funny thing about showing your hand in this world…everyone knows what ya got, and holds you to it. Hal and Brian Cashman just showed the entire baseball world what they were willing to do to have a big time player on their team, and now must use that same financial ability to replace him, if that’s possible. The alternate reality of not doing so and “saving the money” will result a total loss of face with the fans and media. In short, Hal and Cashman must assemble a top end well rounded contender with minimal flaws, something the team has lots of right now.
The question becomes, just how do you replace a transformative player that helped you win a pennant. This is not a scene out of Moneyball, Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt are not going to offer you Scott Hatteberg and Chad Bradford for pennies on the dollar, heck they won’t even throw in old man Justice. This is a situation where the Yankees must fight fire with fire. They need the balance they have lacked for years and they need to create a proper ball club that can win in more ways than one. In my mind there is a checklist that they must operate off of at this critical juncture, which is…
- Improved fundamentals: This takes the form of higher IQ players, quality defenders, hitting to all fields, more athleticism, and the ability to play the game more completely.
- An Emphasis on Lefties: Both in the lineup and on the mound the Yankees need quality left handed players that reflect their ballpark.
- Winning Pedigree: Let’s be blunt, this group hadn’t accomplished a lot up until this October. They need winners and preferably guys with an edge to them as they’re a shade too nice. It’s an intangible quality but one you have to try and find.
Now who can check these boxes? I believe such players are out there and since the Yankees just told the world how deep their pockets are, then the solution should be obvious. Don’t get caught up in trying to replicate Soto, or recreating him in the aggregate. You can’t and there are only two players comparable to him in the sport, and one is already on the team. So let’s take a look at who I feel the Yankees need to bring in to solve their problems and move forward as contender.
Nolan Arenado: The 33-year old’s best years may be behind him, but he still gives quality at bats, hits to all fields, and plays a stellar third base. It would be a trade, which could make room for the Cardinals retain salary. 
Christian Walker: The 33-year old is a late bloomer at first, but bloom he did in the desert! He is a very productive bat that would lengthen the lineup, even if he is a righty. He is the premier free agent option at 1B. 
Cody Bellinger: 29-year-old Bellinger is a Yankee legacy, as his dad Clay played for the team in 90’s. He had a resurgent run with the Cubs, with good power from the left side and athleticism. He’s an interesting trade option as he could play the outfield and first. 
Anthony Santander: 31-year-old Santander is a familiar foe in Yankee land as he has wrecked games offensively for years in Baltimore. He’s a switch hitter with power so you gain nice lineup balance…even if he can’t catch a cold in the outfield. He’s in for a big free agent pay day! 
Teoscar Hernandez: 32-year-old Hernandez is another familiar face after he killed the Yanks in the World Series. He has always hit well against the Bombers and would make for a fearsome trio in the heart of the order with Judge and Stanton. He is another righty but when he is right, you’d be hard pressed to find a more well-rounded free agent bat. 
Alex Bregman: Could 30-year-old Bregman really leave arch-nemesis Houston for NYC? Stranger things have happened. Bregman is a born winner so you check the pedigree box, and plays with an edge. His numbers are solid in the regular season, he plays good defense and above all is clutch in October. He is a free agent difference maker in the fall! 
Max Fried: The 30-year-old lefty ace is an enticing option. Fried has been a work horse in ATL, with a lifetime ERA of 3.07 and a 73-36 record. He’s struggled a bit in big games but this a quality free agent arm with World Series experience to boost the rotation. 
Walker Buehler: If you can’t beat ’em join ’em! Walker Buehler shut the Yanks down in the World Series and would in my opinion be a great fit in NYC. At age 30, it feels like he still has a lot to give, especially in October where he boasts a 3.04 ERA. With his arm returning to health, he’s a great free agent get. 
Tanner Scott: 30-year-old Tanner Scott has emerged from relative obscurity to be one of the games top relievers. He should be the Yanks next closer with his wipe out stuff from the leftside, a plus in the short porch world of the Bronx. He’s the premier free agent relief pitcher and I’d be all in. 
Ryan Helsley: The 30-year-old righty is the other best closer potentially available. Number 56 in red throws absolute GAS and can absolutely dominate in the 9th. He’s the polar opposite of what the Yanks presently have at the back end. This would be via trade with the Cards, so maybe you can go two for one with Arenado?
The ten players above are essentially my wish list for the Yankees this offseason. Several of them were on here before Soto left and they remain on it, with even more emphasis on adding them. I will say, Nolan Arenado was included here as the Yankees are heavily linked with him…despite the fact that I’m not crazy about the move. In my mind, his skills may soon be diminishing, but I see him as the lesser of two evils from another option they are linked with right now. Some of these guys are on the wrong side of 30, but beggars can’t be choosers right now there are solid options here amongst the group. Walker, Bellinger, Hernandez, Santander, Bregman, Fried, Buehler, and Scott would be priority targets for me as this gets going. I mentioned the “lesser of two evils,” so let’s talk about those evils.
Pete Alonso: Could the 30-year-old free agent do a reverse Soto? The Polar Bear can certainly play in NYC, but is this a good fit for the Yanks? A right handed, strike out prone hitter with a bad glove…sounds all too familiar. 
Vlad Jr: The younger Guerreo is still just 25 and possess a ton of talent. But is he and his personality a good fit right now given how much the drama the Yankees typically find themselves in? This is a major stay away spot, especially when you consider his lack of fundamentals.
To me there are two absolute no-go’s this offseason, being Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Alonso switching boroughs like Soto just did feels like a bit of a panic move from the Yankee side of things, as they would fully be in a cat and mouse game with Cohen, who likely wants Alonso back anyway. He’s a productive hitter, but he has abandoned hope of hitting for an average and doesn’t excel at first base at all. Guerrero meanwhile feels like a bad mix with the New York market as his big personality and seemingly constant chatter could be a lightning rod for drama in the Bronx. The Yankees need to stay clear here and not get wrapped up in doubling down on players that they essentially already have.
Can this all work? Can the scatter shot approach of going after a ton of players really make this team better in the short and long term? We have seen it fail here before as the Yankees last tried this with Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, and each one went worse than the last. But this front office has no other choice and now they must move quickly before the offseason becomes a complete and utter failure. They have the financial might to get this done, so it’s time to flex muscle and make improvements to save the contending window and avoid a rebuild.
On Twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!
The Broadway Breakdown 
Leave a comment