Juan Soto has formally departed the Bronx in favor of Queens, because the celebrity slugger agreed to a 15-year deal with the Mets price $765MM final evening. Now that they know Soto is not going to be returning to the membership in 2025, the Yankees at the moment are poised to pivot in direction of plenty of different notable free agent targets, spreading the cash they might’ve spent on Soto round their roster. Whereas the workforce is bound to have plenty of irons within the hearth as they try and reconstruct their roster with out Soto within the combine, USA Right now’s Bob Nightengale reported this morning that the membership is predicted to make a “robust push” without spending a dime agent first baseman Christian Walker after beforehand expressing curiosity in him earlier this winter.
Walker, 34 in March, has been a fixture of the Diamondbacks lineup at first base since longtime franchise face Paul Goldschmidt was traded to the Cardinals previous to the 2019 season however has discovered a brand new gear in his early thirties. Over the previous three seasons, Walker has slashed a powerful .250/.322/.481 (120 wRC+) with a 20.8% strikeout fee, a 9.9% stroll fee, and 95 homers in 447 video games for Arizona. He’s accomplished that whereas offering top quality protection at first base, profitable the NL’s Gold Glove award on the place in every of the previous three campaigns. That mixture of strong offense and elite protection on the place have made Walker one of many league’s most beneficial commodities at first base lately. His 10.8 fWAR because the begin of the 2022 season is tied with Yandy Diaz for fifth-best within the majors amongst certified first basemen, trailing solely Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, and Goldschmidt in that point. In the meantime, Walker ranked fifth in fWAR and seventh in wRC+ amongst certified hitters at first base this 12 months whereas trailing solely Freeman, Harper, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in each classes.
It’s the kind of manufacturing that nearly any workforce may gain advantage from, however the Yankees particularly might use a giant enhance at first base. Incumbent first baseman Anthony Rizzo departed without spending a dime company final month after a injury-marred marketing campaign that noticed him hit simply .228/.301/.335 (84 wRC+) in 92 video games, and the membership’s inside options on the place are lackluster. Rookie Ben Rice struggled to a 73 wRC+ in his first style of huge league motion final 12 months, whereas DJ LeMahieu was one of many worst hitters in baseball this previous 12 months with a .204/.269/.259 slash line throughout his age-35 season. Including Walker would enhance each the membership’s offense and protection in a considerable approach, providing a gentle answer at first base that might permit the membership.
What’s extra, the $60MM price ticket over three years that MLBTR predicted Walker would land on the outset of the offseason is hardly cost-prohibitive, and will go away the Yankees with loads of monetary flexibility to remain aggressive in upgrading different areas of the roster. Third base and the outfield seem like the obvious locations for the membership to improve, however a pursuit of a top-flight starter resembling Corbin Burnes or Max Fried can’t be dominated out both. The Yankees have reportedly met with each gamers this offseason and seem to have actual curiosity in pairing one of many two stay aces accessible in free company with Gerrit Cole atop the membership’s rotation. Of the 2, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand studies that the membership prefers Fried over Burnes. Including both pitcher would absolutely require the membership to commerce at the least considered one of their present starters, with southpaw Nestor Cortes and veteran righty Marcus Stroman standing out as probably the most speculated-upon commerce candidates.
Turning again to the lineup, the Yankees have reported curiosity in prime free agent infielder Alex Bregman, which MLBTR mentioned earlier this morning. One different choice to fill the membership’s emptiness on the sizzling nook may very well be Cardinals veteran Nolan Arenado. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Publish-Dispatch reported this morning that the Yankees are amongst a “choose handful” of groups that the Playing cards have approached concerning the potential of an Arenado commerce, although it’s unclear to what degree the Yankees reciprocated that curiosity in a deal in the event that they did so in any respect. The 33-year-old has a full no-trade clause in his cope with the Cardinals, and his means to be picky about his vacation spot has seemingly contributed to a “very restricted” commerce marketplace for the veteran star.
Presumably, the Yankees are one of many groups Arenado would approve a commerce to if the Cardinals are broaching the topic with the membership. He may very well be a smart match for the Bronx given his robust protection at third base that might type a formidable left aspect of the infield alongside shortstop Anthony Volpe whereas permitting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to maneuver again to his pure place on second base. With that being stated, there are questions on Arenado’s offense at this stage of his profession. Whereas he’s simply two years faraway from end as a finalist for the NL MVP award, these two seasons haven’t been variety to him as he slashed simply .269/.320/.426 (104 wRC+) in a mixed 247 video games. He’s been roughly a three-win participant over the previous two seasons, however with three years remaining on his contract it’s honest to surprise if additional regression on both aspect of the ball may very well be in Arenado’s future.
As for the outfield, the Yankees have been linked to Teoscar Hernandez as a possible back-up for Soto, with reporting yesterday indicating the membership has “critical curiosity” in his providers. Feinsand characterizes the membership’s curiosity in Hernandez otherwise, nevertheless, reporting that the membership’s talks with the slugger are “very preliminary” because the membership has been centered on Soto up to now within the winter. In fact, now that Soto is off the board it’s simple to think about the membership’s curiosity in Hernandez changing into way more critical. Whereas no participant can change Soto’s bat within the lineup and pairing one other right-handed bat with Choose and Stanton in the course of the Yankees lineup is way from superb, Hernandez’s 134 wRC+ in 2024 would nonetheless provide the membership a official middle-of-the-order risk they’ll be missing now that Soto has moved on.
