The Yankees Turn Their Focus To Critical Offseason Decisions

The World Series is over, culminating in a gut-wrenching defeat for the New York Yankees with the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating at Yankee Stadium. Now it’s time for them to pick up the pieces and prepare for a crucial offseason.

Despite finishing with the American League’s best record at 94-68 and winning the pennant, the Yankees have a lot of major decisions to make and holes to fill this winter. Four starting position players and three key relief pitchers are free agents.

Juan Soto

The top priority by far is re-signing Juan Soto. The Yankees probably wouldn’t have reached the playoffs at all without him batting .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 119 walks, and 7.9 rWAR (Baseball-Reference version). He just turned 26 last week and figures to shatter contract records.

Keeping him in The Bronx won’t be easy, and he isn’t expected to give the Yankees a home-team discount. His resolute approach to free agency is his right, and it’s why he has already been traded by both the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres in his young, stellar career.

Just as in the World Series, the Yankees will have competition from the Dodgers. The New York Mets are also expected to mount a serious bid. When asked about free agency after last night’s loss, he told reporters, “I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency.”

If the Yankees fail to sign Soto, there is no Plan B. It will be impossible to replace his production. They’ll have to pivot towards acquiring a handful of good players, but there are only so many available in trades and free agency, and no combination of them can match what Soto provides.

Lineup Upgrades

Soto’s place in right field isn’t the only one they need to fill. Second baseman Gleyber Torres and left fielder Alex Verdugo are free agents too. Youngster Jasson Dominguez is expected to move into Verdugo’s place, possibly taking over in center field with Aaron Judge moving back to one of the corners. If they can’t retain Soto, they’ll need to find a third starting outfielder.

Torres has had a tumultuous Yankee career, but it ended on a high note with him providing a spark down the stretch and in the playoffs as the leadoff hitter. His defense and baserunning instincts leave a lot to be desired, but they’ll need to find another starting infielder to take his place.

Jazz Chisholm took over as the third baseman after they dealt for him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline, but he can play second base just as well. His flexibility gives the club more options to look for players at either position.

The Yankees went into this season relying on DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo to start at the corners despite their advanced ages and declining productivity. LeMahieu flamed out completely, hitting .204/.269/.259 over 67 games and didn’t play again after September 3. He’s still under contract for two more seasons, but after such a poor campaign, it looks like it’s past time to cut bait on the 36-year-old.

Rizzo wasn’t much better, batting .228/.301/.335 over 92 games. He was on the injured list from June 17 through the end of August, but he failed to hit a home run in 32 games after his return—including in the postseason. He has a $17 million team option with a $6 million buyout that they will surely decline.

Altogether, Yankee first basemen batted .216/.284/.335 this season. Their slugging percentage was last in MLB at the position and their 76 wRC+ (a measure of total offense) was 29th out of 30 teams, finishing ahead of only the Cincinnati Reds. Finding more production at the cold corner is essential this winter.

Pitching Decisions

The Yankees rotation is intact for next season, but their bullpen will need an overhaul. Their three high-leverage workhorses in the playoffs were Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Luke Weaver. Weaver has a $2.5 million option for 2025 that they’ll gladly exercise, but Holmes and Kahnle are free agents. So is Tim Hill, who emerged as their top lefty reliever with a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings after they claimed him in June.

Investing in a strong relief corps has been a trademark of general manager Brian Cashman’s tenure, but 2024 was a departure from the norm. Holmes and Kahnle were the only relievers who earned more than $2.5 million this season, and the bullpen struggled at times throughout the year. The Yankees may have to return to paying top dollar if he wants to lock down the back end of games, but with so much work to be done rebuilding the lineup, we’ll see how much of a priority relief pitching becomes.