Since Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, the Yankees have responded with a flurry of moves this offseason. This includes signing free agents like Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt and trading for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger. All four players have combined to win two championships, two MVP and Reliever of the Year awards, eight gold gloves, and appeared in 13 all-star games. More importantly, Fried, Bellinger, and Goldschmidt can play high-level defense. This was something that the Yankees were lacking last season and ultimately burned them in the World Series. While they’ll never truly replace Soto, the New York Yankees might be a more complete team in 2025.
The Yankees Were A Heavily Flawed Team Last Season
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile the Yankees returned to the World Series, they were a flawed team last season. New York committed 93 fielding errors in 2024 which was the third most in the American League. The only teams that committed more errors than the Yankees were the Angels and Red Sox. The Yankees fielding problems ultimately cost them the World Series. The Yankees’ pitching staff was shaky at times, especially at closer. New York’s lineup also had very little athleticism and positional flexibility.
The Yankees Have Been Able To Address Multiple Areas Of Need
This offseason, Juan Soto signed the richest contract in all sports and went across town to join the New York Mets. To say that the reaction to Soto joining the Mets was a gut punch to Yankees fans is a complete understatement. This forced Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and the front office to move in another direction with their offseason plans. However, a silver lining could be found in the Yankees losing Soto to the Mets. With their new-found “Soto savings”, the Yankees have been able to address the flaws that plagued them in 2024.
Max Fried Deepens The Yankees Starting Rotation
Embed from Getty ImagesThe first move the Yankees made was signing former Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried. While the starting rotation wasn’t necessarily a strong need, it still had room for improvement. Gerrit Cole was hurt for most of last year, Carlos Rodon hasn’t been an inconsistent second starter, Marcus Stroman had a rough second half of the season, and Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt had injury woes themselves. New York signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal, the largest contract ever for a left-handed starter.
More importantly, the 30-year-old knows what it takes to win as he won a championship with the Braves. His ability to play gold glove-caliber defense is a big bonus. Adding Fried essentially gives the Yankees two aces in the starting rotation. It also meant that the Yankees had a surplus of starting pitching and Cortes and Stroman were now expendable.
Devin Williams Solidifies The Closer Role
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile Luke Weaver proved to be a competent closer, the Yankees decided to address the role anyway. Last season, New York’s bullpen had trouble striking out opposing hitters and this was something that Cashman wanted to address. The Yankees acquired all-star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers for Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin. Williams had been considered the best closer in baseball and before last season, he had been an all-star two years in a row. Despite missing most of 2024 with a back injury, the former all-star closer still notched 14 saves in 22 appearances with an ERA of just 1.25. The two-time NL Reliever of the Year also has a career strikeout rate of 39.4%. Not only did the Yankees acquire a proven closer, but they got a much-needed high-strikeout reliever as well.
More Versatility And Athleticism With Cody Bellinger
With Juan Soto gone, the Yankees had an opening in the outfield. Fortunately for New York, the Chicago Cubs were looking to offload Cody Bellinger. The Yankees had been interested in acquiring Bellinger for years. After a few days of negotiations over money, the Yankees acquired Cody Bellinger and $5 million to help with his contract. All the Yankees gave the Cubs in return was depth pitcher Cody Poteet.
While the former MVP was unable to duplicate his 2023 season last year, keep in mind Wrigley Field is a tough park for a left-handed power hitter. Big things should be on the horizon for the 29-year-old, Bellinger will have Yankee Stadium’s short porch at his disposal, a heavenly place for left-handed power hitters. He could potentially put up offensive numbers that are even better than what he did in 2023.
Throughout his career, the former Gold Glove winner has been a plus defender. He’s also a versatile player with the ability to play all three outfield positions and first base. Bellinger has proven he can play all four of those positions well. Given his versatility, manager Aaron Boone indicated that Cody Bellinger’s role was still to be determined. The former MVP brings the Yankees power, versatility, and athleticism, something they didn’t have last year.
A Low Risk High Reward Deal With Paul Goldschmidt
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter an injury-plagued and career-worst season, the Yankees declined Anthony Rizzo’s $17 million option, paying him a $6 million buyout, making him a free agent. While the team has prospect Ben Rice waiting in the wings, he’s not ready to be a lineup regular. Instead of losing draft picks to sign Christian Walker, overpaying Pete Alonso, or taking on veteran Carlos Santana; they decided to sign former MVP Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million contract.
While the 2022 MVP got off to an uncharacteristically slow start last year. In the first half, Goldschmidt only slashed .230/.291/.373 with 13 homers, 37 RBI, and an OPS of .664. However, the future Hall of Famer had a strong finish to the 2024 season. After the all-star break, he had a slash line of .271/.319/.480 with nine homers, 28 RBI, and an OPS of .799. Something he brings to the lineup is the ability to hit left-handed pitchers well, something the Yankees struggled to do last season. In Goldschmidt’s career facing left-handed starting pitchers, he’s slashed .323/.423/.586 with 101 home runs, 305 RBI, and an OPS of 1.009. Since Goldschmidt will no longer have to carry an entire lineup, he has the potential to put together a nice offensive season in 2025.
The 37-year-old has proven to be a stellar defensive first baseman. Goldschmidt has earned four Gold Glove awards and has +59 defensive runs saved in his career. Given how well he finished the 2024 season, the Yankees’ goal is to milk one more good year from Goldschmidt. However, at worst, the 37-year-old becomes a platoon player with him and Rice splitting time based on matchups. Goldschmidt was signed to serve as a placeholder until Ben Rice is ready to take over the position full-time. The former all-star is on a cheap contract, and this is a low-risk high-reward deal for the New York Yankees.
A More Complete Team Could Be Seen In 2025
While losing Juan Soto was tough, it could be a blessing in disguise for the Yankees. The team has been able to address needs that they otherwise wouldn’t have if they re-signed Soto. This offseason New York got much better defensively, stabilized their closer role, added more athleticism and versatility to their lineup, and now arguably have the best rotation in the American League. While the Yankees won’t truly replace Soto, however, they were able to address areas they were deficient in last season. While more needs to be done, the Yankees have done a great job so far of putting together a more complete team.
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