The Yankees front office had to make a lot of moves this offseason to rebound after the loss of slugger Juan Soto. GM Brian Cashman and his staff did not find a like-for-like replacement for the Mets' marquee free agent signing. Instead, New York opted to pivot and try to strengthen other positions on the roster to give manager Aaron Boone a more well balanced team to work with in 2025.
The biggest offseason expenditure for the Yankees was landing Max Fried. He signed an 8-year, $218 million deal to become the team's co-ace alongside Gerrit Cole. The latter hurler's injury thrust Fried into the spotlight as the team's No. 1 starter the moment the regular season commenced.
He wasn't the franchise's only big-money free agent signing. Paul Goldschmidt was inked to fill the team's void at first base. Trades netted the Yankees a new closer in Devin Williams and a new outfielder starter in the form of Cody Bellinger.
It's still early in the 2025 campaign but Yankees fans can be excited by the contributions of several new faces. Here are the three new roster members who are already making a big impact in the Bronx.
1. Max Fried
The high-priced southpaw has high expectations after signing a mammoth contract in free agency. He struggled a bit his first two times out on the year but he's rounded into form quickly to perform as a legitimate ace through four starts.
Some fans might be surprised to know that he's pitching to a stellar ERA of just 1.88 in 24 innings. That's powered him to three wins on the year. Some of his success has been muted by suffering through four unearned runs on the young season.
Fried isn't reliant on swing-and-miss stuff to be effective but striking out more than one hitter per inning shows how good his arsenal of pitches has been. He might see his numbers come back to Earth as the weather starts to warm but he could also experience an unptick in velocity. The Yankees need him to stay healthy and continue to pitch like a bona fide ace if they're going to stay atop the AL East for the full year.
2. Paul Goldschmidt
The Yankees were only willing to commit to a one-year deal with Goldschmidt due to his advanced age but the investment is paying off handsomely. The 37-year-old first baseman has a .352 batting average through his first 71 at-bats of the season.
That's a significant uptick over what Boone got out of his options at first base last season. Anthony Rizzo was one of the worst starters in baseball until injury ended his season prematurely. Ben Rice showed flashes of brilliance but his overall numbers on the year were well below average for his position.
Some Yankees fans might bemoan Goldschmidt's lack of power on the year, but if he continues to hit for such a high average then Boone and his coaching staff won't concern themselves with the veteran's lack of home runs. Throw in some good infield defense and he's been a stellar signing for Cashman and the team's front office.
3. Devin Williams
Devin Williams has had some very shaky moments early in his Yankees tenure. That doesn't change the reality that having a clear closer at the back of the bullpen has already paid real dividends for Boone.
The most obvious plus has been freeing Luke Weaver up to pitch multiple innings in high leverage situations. To say Weaver has excelled in that role would be an understatement. He's yet to give up a single run in his nine innings pitched in 2025.
Williams is also showing real signs of rounding into form. His airbender hasn't shown up in full force yet but it was present in his no-nonsense save against the Rays on Thursday night. That was his most effective outing in a Yankee uniform and the franchise is hoping it's a harbinger of things to come from the imposing closer.
No Yankee closer will truly be embraced by the team's fan base until they prove their worth in the postseason. It will be a while before Williams gets that opportunity but he's helped Boone build a bullpen with more depth and upside.