To say that the 2024 offseason is an important one for the New York Yankees would be an understatement. The defending AL Champions are at risk of losing Juan Soto in free agency, which would obviously be a devastating blow.
Soto didn't quite match the regular season numbers that Aaron Judge put up, but he did still put together arguably his best overall season. Additionally, Soto's production in October blew Judge's out of the water.
As much as this offseason feels like it's only Soto that the Yankees have to worry about, he's far from their only free agent. There are others New York should consider bringing back, like Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle, but most of them are ones that Yankees fans will be happy to see land elsewhere. These three in particular make a lot of sense in that regard.
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3. Gleyber Torres leaving the Yankees is good for all involved
Gleyber Torres' seven-year tenure in the Bronx featured tons of ups and downs. He was an All-Star in his rookie year and received MVP votes in his second season, giving Yankees fans reason to believe he'd be a superstar for years to come. Unfortunately, it didn't end up that way.
Torres has never been able to replicate his 2019 production, and while he's always been an above-average hitter - especially for a middle infielder - his defense, base running, and effort have always lagged behind.
At this point, given the fact that Torres has been a frustrating player to watch over the years and his name has been floated around in trade rumors for as long as anyone can remember, it's for the best that both sides have a fresh start. The Yankees refusing to give him a qualifying offer suggests they have little interest in bringing him back, and Torres might benefit from a change of scenery as well.
2. Yankees fans will enjoy not being on pins and needles whenever Clay Holmes enters a game
Clay Holmes' numbers since the Yankees acquired him during the 2021 season have been stellar. He has numbers that few relievers in the American League can match. However, as Yankees fans will tell you, numbers don't tell the whole story with Holmes.
The right-hander had a 3.14 ERA in 60 appearances this past season, recorded 30 saves, and even made the AL All-Star team. Still, his struggles as the season progressed and Aaron Boone's reluctance to move him from the closer's role until he absolutely had to made Yankees fans lose their patience.
The 31-year-old got off to a blistering start and didn't even allow an earned run until the middle of May, but he pitched to a 4.60 ERA in his 47 appearances after that and blew 12 of his 29 save opportunities in that span.
His stuff is great, he limits hard contact, but he doesn't get nearly enough swing and miss for a closer, struggled mightily in the ninth inning of games, and as his 1.302 WHIP would indicate, it was rarely smooth sailing when Holmes took the mound.
He was better than expected when the team acquired him, and he had some good moments in the Bronx, but this is another situation where both sides are better off moving on.
1. Yankees fans are excited to see Jasson Dominguez take Alex Verdugo's spot
From May 1 through the end of the regular season, Alex Verdugo ranked 133rd out of 136 qualified position players with a 72 WRC+. He was tied for 131st out of 136 qualified position players with -0.1 fWAR. Simply put, for five of the six months of the regular season, he was performing like one of the worst position players in the sport.
Despite that. Verdugo still appeared in 149 games for the Yankees over the course of the regular season. He started almost all of them. He started and played every inning of all of New York's 14 postseason games. He was a fixture in left field, whether Yankees fans liked it or not.
Sure, top prospect Jasson Dominguez was hurt for a chunk of the year and struggled in his brief MLB stint, but Brian Cashman waiting as long as he did to give Dominguez a real shot in the majors essentially set him up to fail. The Yankees never seemed truly intent on removing Verdugo from the lineup, for whatever reason.
Well, Verdugo is a free agent now, and there's absolutely no logical reason to bring him back. At some point, the Yankees are going to have to see what Dominguez can do at the MLB level playing regularly. Assuming Soto or some other outfielder joins the mix, there won't be room for Verdugo, especially since New York elected to keep Trent Grisham around.
Verdugo provided some energy in his first season in the Bronx, but for the most part, that trade was a dud. Going from him to a top prospect Yankees fans have been waiting years to see play regularly at the MLB level will be very exciting.