The New York Yankees were dealt a difficult and inevitable blow when Juan Soto left for the deep-pocketed New York Mets this offseason, signing a historic 15-year, $765 million contract. That is the largest salary guarantee ever for an American sports star.
Soto's move from the Bronx to Queens intensified baseball's greatest intracity rivalry. Mets fans are elated. It finally feels like the Mets are operating on equal footing with the Yankees. On the flip side, Yankees fans aren't too thrilled about Soto's decision to jump ship on the Aaron Judge partnership after just one season, which resulted in career-best numbers and a World Series berth.
We can point to a number of reasons why Soto left. The Yankees clearly didn't treat him and his family with the grace (or the cash-happy nonchalance) the Mets will. He took the best offer available to him, which is hard to argue with. There has also been a sense that the Mets might be a bit more willing to spend on the margins and build out their roster. Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner have an irritating habit of broadcasting how difficult and expensive it is to maintain a winner.
The Yankees' ultimate goal should be to prove Soto wrong — to show that he should've stuck around the Bronx and potentially earned a couple rings. 2025 is off to a poor start for the Yankees after Gerrit Cole's season-ending elbow injury, but there is always the trade market. That is, assuming Cashman actually ponies up and gets aggressive.
Here are a few blockbusters within reach for the Yankees.
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3. Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are approaching an inflection point. Ranger Suarez is expected to miss time early in the season as he deals with back stiffness. It's not a huge concern (yet), but it does put a spotlight on his long-term outlook. The All-Star southpaw is a free agent next winter and could be in line for a hefty payday.
Now, Dave Dombrowski generally pays his guys — and it's worth noting the not-insignificant amount of cash coming off the books next season as Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, and Max Kepler hit free agency. That said, Philly is loaded on the rotation front, with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo all locked up for 2026 and beyond. Plus, there's top prospect Andrew Painter on the come up, with a chance to early every-week starts as soon as this season.
Taijuan Walker put together a mostly positive spring training. He is expected to draw starts for as long as Suarez misses time. Painter's arrival could expand the rotation to six before long. As such, it feels like the Phillies might decide to cut bait with Suarez. Potentially before the trade deadline.
New York's rotation needs depth in a big way with Cole, their traditional workhorse, out of commission. The Yanks already broke the bank on a lefty this offseason in Max Fried, but Suarez's arrival would go a long way toward stabilizing New York's rotation. Philadelphia ought to listen if the Yankees can put together the right prospect package.
2. Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are stuck between a rock and a hard place as ownership control hangs in the balance. Few GMs are more naturally aggressive than A.J. Preller, but he has been operating under a restrictive mandate to slash spending and keep San Diego's books in check. Not far removed from the Juan Soto trade, that could be what kicks Dylan Cease out the door.
Cease finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting last season after a magical second half to the campaign. He was a significant driving force behind San Diego's postseason berth and subsequent success. No team pushed the Dodgers harder, but the Padres' offense fell apart in the end. There's not much Cease can do about that.
San Diego clearly prefers to keep Cease and contend this season, but after whiffing on Roki Sasaki and suffering a troubling injury setback from Yu Darvish, it's unclear how viable those aspirations are. The NL got a heck of a lot better this winter. Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, and Sasaki all signed with division foes. The Giants beefed up their lineup. The Padres' position in the NL hierarchy is precarious at best.
Should the Padres bite the bullet and float Cease on the trade market — and let's be clear, the Padres will not be able to afford Cease as a free agent — the Yankees are an obvious fit. New York would then need to worry about paying all three of Cole, Fried, and Cease, but it's a price worth paying for World Series contention. The 29-year-old packs elite strikeout stuff and has been impressively durable in recent years.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays tried and failed to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the season. Barring an unexpected setback, Guerrero could rack up north of $600 million as a free agent. He's 26, with a picturesque swing that promotes both contact and power. Like his father before him, Vladdy Jr. can reach just about any pitch and always find the gap. The bag will be heavy.
Now, should the Blue Jays circle the wagons and try again next winter? Maybe. Guerrero plainly loves Toronto and both sides would prefer a career-long partership. That said, the Blue Jays tend to lose these high-profile bidding wars. Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes — Toronto perpetually finishes second, often losing out to one of the coastal elites.
Should Guerrero receive free agent offers from the New York teams or Boston as a free agent, there's a good chance he leaves Toronto high and dry. So, the Blue Jays may need to consider jumping ship before the trade deadline, especially if Toronto comes out of the gate slow. New York and Boston feel like bonafide contenders. The O's aren't going anywhere. If the Blue Jays don't look like a competitive team in the AL East, there's no reason to expect Guerrero to sincerely entertain a reunion.
So, the Yankees might as well sniff around now. An extra half-season at Guerrero could mean the difference between a World Series title or no World Series title. It's hard to imagine the Blue Jays trading Guerrero in the division, especially to the Yankees, but if New York comes with a package that's impossible to refuse... Toronto might need to bite the bullet. The Yankees could wait until free agency, but there's no guarantee Guerrero would choose the Bronx given his past comments about New York. It's best to get a leg up now and repair any broken bridges ahead of time.