7 stars Yankees could sign with Juan Soto's money if he leaves

Last season, the Yankees finished six games out of the Wild Card and 19 games back of the Orioles in the AL East. This year, they made it to the World Series. As a team, the Yankees’ one-year turnaround has been remarkable.

It goes without saying, that the main reason behind this season’s resurgent Yankee team is Juan Soto. Over one year in pinstripes, Soto slashed .288/.419/.569/.988 with 41 home runs. However, Soto’s one year in the Bronx may be his only year in the Bronx. Soto is now set to hit the open market. Another thing that goes without saying is that Soto is due for a massive raise in salary.

One would think with everything Soto has brought to the Yankees, that management would do just about anything to bring him back. But unfortunately, the days of The Boss are gone. Hal Steinbrenner, already the second-highest spender in the MLB, might take a more frugal approach when it comes to offering contracts.

The Yankees currently hold the massive contracts of Judge, Cole, and Stanton. To add to their misery, Cole might opt out. The Yankees, if they choose to, can add another year at $36 million to keep him from entering free agency. But assuming he does, the Yankees could drop Cole and the remaining $144 million on his contract then instead, pursue Soto. But let’s say they keep Cole whether he opts out or not. While there isn’t a way of telling how much Soto will earn, there is a good chance the Yankees will be priced out of the competition.

Rumors have it, that both the Blue Jays and the Mets will be huge contenders for Soto, and we can’t count out the Dodgers. The Yankees have offered an extension, but as a Scott Boras client, Soto does not do extensions. If the Yankees are priced out on Soto, they will have a nice sum of money on hand for other investments. This might also mean the Yankees can improve more than one position. Who could they turn to?

While the Yankees will have several openings thanks to free agency, let’s get a look at some of the big-ticket items.

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7. OF Anthony Santander

His batting average and on-base percentage are far below that of Juan Soto, but Anthony Santander is a potent slugger. In 2024, the switch-hitting outfielder slashed .235/.308/.506/.814 with a career-high 44 home runs, a season that resulted in his first All-Star selection.

Unlike Soto, Santander will likely only draw interest as a stalwart, middle-of-the-order home run hitter. Earlier this year, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN estimated Santander would earn anywhere from $40 million to $80,000 million. While the ceiling is twice as high as the base, Santander’s value on the market could be hard to gauge since this free agent class is short on star power. This could raise Santander’s price significantly.

With Judge and Stanton, the Yankees have two incredible sources of power (when they’re both healthy). We are also yet to see how Jasson Dominguez performs during a full MLB season. Adding Santander would provide much-needed protection so no pitcher can pitch around one or two players before pitching to the rest of the lineup, as former Yankee Luis Severino jokingly chided.

On his own, Santander is not going to lead the Yankees to another World Series. However, adding him would certainly help if Soto left the Yankees.

6. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano

Given the pitching struggles the Yankees have experienced with their starting rotation, it may prove wise to pick up another starter. This offseason, teams will have a shot at signing one of Japan’s best pitchers. Tomoyuki Sugano will hit the free agent market after 2024 where he posted a 1.67 ERA with 111 strikeouts while only allowing 16 walks through 156.2 innings pitched. These stats come with a stellar 15-3 record on the year.

Sugano is a two-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award and two-time NPB Central League MVP. At age 35, he presumably won’t cost a generous sum as a long-term deal likely won’t be a factor in any contract discussions. The Yomiuri Giants’ ace has had an astounding career in Japan and currently maintains a 2.43 career ERA over 12 years in the NPB.

Sugano doesn’t throw an explosive fastball. His four-seamer averages about 92 MPH. However, he brings with him a rather expansive pitch mix. His array features a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider, curveball, and splitter mix. He also mixes speeds very well ranging from the high 70s to the low 90s.

The Yankees have shown interest in international aces before. Their contract with Masahiro Tanaka worked out very well for them in the past. More recently, we’ve seen the Yankees stifled after facing one of their international free-agent targets, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If that bad experience lights a fire under management, we might see another Japanese ace in the Bronx.

5. RHP Roki Sasaki

Speaking of Japanese aces, there may be another arm of interest on the market besides Sugano. However, in this case, it should be noted that this player will only become available if he is posted. The player in question would be Roki Sasaki.

Anyone who watched Sasaki pitch in the 2023 WBC should be excited to see his 100+ MPH fastball in America. In 2024, Sasaki pitched to a 2.35 ERA with 129 strikeouts over 111 innings. The Chiba Lotte Marines’ ace turns 23 on November 3 and has spent only four years in the NPB. Over those four years, Sasaki has maintained a 2.10 ERA in the NPB. In 2022, Sasaki threw a perfect game where he tied the NPB record of 19 strikeouts in a single game.

What would make his free agency interesting, if he were to post, would be the conditions of his contract. Sasaki is under 25 and has pitched in Japan for less than six years. According to MLB's international amateur signing bonus pool rules, his MLB salary is capped. This makes him a budget pitcher with a potentially elite arm.

Sasaki mixes his 100 MPH fastball with his splitter and slider. Whether he is posted or not depends on the Chiba Lotte Marines who have refused to post him before despite his wishes to be posted.

4. RHP Corbin Burnes

Unlike the two pitchers mentioned previously, Corbin Burnes has excelled as an MLB ace. Both Sugano and Sasaki may be great pitchers in Japan but haven’t yet proven themselves in the MLB over the course of a full season. If the Yankees seek talent that has been proven in the MLB, they could easily use their savings and opt for Corbin Burnes.

The 2021 Cy Young Award winner threw to a 2.92 ERA over 194.1 innings in 2024. His 181 strikeouts offered the lowest strikeouts-to-innings ratio of his career as a usually strikeout-heavy starter. However, this didn’t seem to hamper his effectiveness. His career 3.19 ERA stands as a reminder to all clubs interested in the continuous quality he can provide at the front end of any rotation.

As an established ace, the top hurler on the free agent market, and one of the best arms in the game, Burnes will command an exorbitant price tag. Jim Bowden of the Athletic estimates Burnes will reap a payday of $247 million. If this figure seems low, it may very well be. To compare, Yoshinobu Yamamoto scored a contract of $325 million. Yamamoto, in all fairness, is younger than Burnes who just turned 30. But as an established ace and the top starter on the market, Burnes will likely land a contract far north of the estimated $247 million. To the Yankees, having a one-two punch of Gerrit Cole and Corbin Burnes may be worth the expenditure.

3. RHP Shane Bieber

If the Yankees sign Corbin Burnes, it may not leave them with enough money to reinforce the offense or the bullpen which will see several arms hit free agency this offseason. But there is a way to sign a potential ace at a rock-bottom price.

The 2020 Cy Young and triple crown winner, Shane Bieber, was injured for a chunk of the 2023 season and missed all but two games in 2024. Bieber is still recovering from Tommy John and will likely miss a significant portion of the 2025 season. In 2023, Bieber threw 128 innings to the tune of a 3.80 ERA. In 2024, he threw 12 scoreless innings. Bieber’s last full year in 2022 saw him throw to a 2.88 ERA over 200 innings.

Given the injuries and his 2023 performance, teams will likely be a bit skeptical about his future. His value on the market this offseason will almost certainly be at a steep discount to where his value was just two years ago, and the Yankees are all about discounts.

If “Not Justin” can revive his spectacular 2020 performance or even his 2022 performance, he will be money well spent to any club. Bieber enters his age 30 season next year.

2. OF/1B Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger is a solid all-around type of player. However, his free agency is contingent on if he opts out of his current contract.

Bellinger is the 2017 Rookie of the Year and the 2019 MVP, but he has largely had trouble repeating his success. His career has been riddled with injuries, but when he is healthy and his mechanics are working well, he can carry a team. This was not the case in 2024 when he fractured a finger and played somewhat poorly. Bellinger posted a slash line of .266/.325/.426/.751 with 18 home runs through 516 at-bats. While Bellinger may never reach the heights of his 2019 Dodgers campaign again, teams will bid on him hoping to recover his 2023 performance. That year, Bellinger, though injured at one point in the season, still compiled 26 home runs with a .307 average winning his second Silver Slugger.

For the Yankees, Bellinger is interesting since he can play centerfield like a Gold Glover (won Gold Glove as an outfielder in 2019) and he can swing for the short right porch. If he opts out, Bellinger will be looking to make more per year than the $27.5 million he is due in 2025.

1. 1B Pete Alonso

Besides Soto, Pete Alonso is the top bat on the market. His continuous excellence as a power hitter will be a major selling point to teams in need of one. Alonso currently holds the all-time rookie home run record with 53.

In 2024, Alonso posted one of his worst seasons at the plate slashing .240/.329/.459/.788 with 34 home runs. Will this affect his value? Not likely, but there is a small chance. Alonso’s .217 average from 2023 might factor into this considering we’ve seen a drop off in that particular stat, but that’s if this turns into an issue. Nonetheless, the marketplace will reward a player who can hit 40 home runs a year with at least some degree of consistency.

A power hitter like Alonso in the hitter-friendly field that is Yankee Stadium just seems like a perfect fit. However, adding Alonso would mean the Yankees are parting with Anthony Rizzo, who has a club option listed in his contract for 2025. Rizzo’s production has suffered for the past two years because of a slew of injuries. At this rate, it doesn’t look like Rizzo will return to the Bronx next season, especially if Soto leaves and the Yankees need to upgrade his spot in the order. But while it may seem like a foregone conclusion, one can never know what upper management is thinking.

If the Yankees do decide to part with Rizzo, bringing in Pete Alonso only makes sense. His power will easily complement that of Judge and Stanton adding another layer of depth that the Yankees would be lacking without Soto.