Coming off an American League championship, most would not have expected the New York Yankees to be scratching their collective heads over what is to come in the near future. However, after losing out on Plan A Juan Soto and Plan B Willy Adames already this offseason, perhaps it is time to wonder exactly what is going on in the Bronx, and what is to come.
Late on Sunday night, ESPN insider Jeff Passan floated the hypothesis that was on so many minds after Soto inked his massive 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets. Despite the Yankees’ return to the World Series in 2024 and the Mets still having plenty of holes to fill on both the hitting and pitching sides of the equation, Soto, according to Passan, saw a brighter future inside Citi Field than Yankee Stadium.
Sure, there are plenty of reasons why the Yankees should be immediately concerned about the rest of the offseason, as our own David Hill pointed out here. Who will be the next in the line of Bronx Bombers to provide the lineup insurance around Aaron Judge as Soto did last year? The money that was targeted for Soto can certainly be distributed to land a Pete Alonso, Christian Walker or other solution at first base, but the Yankees will need to answer several questions about their infield this offseason instead of just focusing on one big bat.
And that’s just the near future. Soto’s contract is for 15 years, so it’s clear this move isn’t just about the 2025 season. Pricey contracts for Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Rodon all end after the 2028 season. Judge’s deal would make him a free agent in 2032. Those four contracts will account for more than $135 million next season and form the core of what will be the Yankees’ plan to return to the Fall Classic.
Is that enough? After a stellar 2024 with the Yankees, Soto has already had an inside look at the locomotive that is expected to churn out championships in the Bronx and decided that it was indeed the little engine that couldn’t. That should be sounding alarm bells inside Yankee Stadium.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Yankees’ offer to Soto was $760 million for 16 years, meaning Soto chose the Mets for $5 million more and one year less. Sure, an extra $5 million is nice, but in the grand scheme of a contract that could end up totaling more than $800 million with incentives, it certainly feels like it was about more than the money in Soto’s final decision.
Yes, there will be more moves made by both the Mets and the Yankees this offseason that will set the table for 2025 and beyond. However, Steve Cohen’s vision of the future trumped Hal Steinbrenner’s in the Soto sweepstakes, meaning the defending AL champions have plenty of work to do to not only piece together a lineup for 2025, but also a better vision for what is to come after that.
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