Despite doing seemingly everything they could do to keep him around, the New York Yankees lost Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. Losing a player of his magnitude after a World Series berth certainly stings, and was something Brian Cashman and Co. was going to have to overcome.
To his credit, Cashman did wind up making several key additions, signing Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt and trading for Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams, and Fernando Cruz. This Yankees roster on paper is probably not as formidable as the 2024 squad which had Soto on it, but in a weak American League, they're one of, if not the clear favorite to win the Pennant.
The big question with Soto gone was how would the lineup react? Aaron Judge is going to be the MVP-caliber force he's always been, but what about everyone else? With Soto gone, the pressure for Giancarlo Stanton to step up certainly elevated. Unfortunately, the oft-injured slugger is dealing with elbow issues on both arms, putting his Opening Day availability into question.
Giancarlo Stanton is a little behind because of elbow issues on both arms, per Boone. Likened it to tennis elbow. Yankees plan on slow-playing him.
— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) February 16, 2025
Injuries are nothing new to Stanton, who has appeared in 115 or more games just twice in his seven-year tenure in the Bronx despite almost exclusively being a DH. Stanton's inability to stay on the field made Cashman's decision to not add a bigger bat than Bellinger and Goldschmidt after missing out on Soto a questionable one, to say the least.
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Yankees lineup could be in big trouble without Giancarlo Stanton
With Soto gone, New York's lineup features Judge and a whole bunch of question marks. Can guys like Bellinger and Goldschmidt bounce back coming off down years? Can Anthony Volpe take a step forward? Just how good is Jazz Chisholm Jr.? Is Jasson Dominguez finally MLB-ready? Can Austin Wells rebound from his late-season struggles? The only players you really know what you're going to get from are Judge and, to a lesser extent Stanton. He might not be the MVP slugger he once was, but when he's on the field, Stanton is always a threat to hit the ball 450 feet away.
Despite only appearing in 114 regular season games in 2024, Stanton launched 27 home runs. He, of course, took his game to another level in October as well. Stanton was one of three players (Soto and Judge being the others) who hit more than 15 regular season home runs. Full seasons from Chisholm, Bellinger, and even Goldschmidt should help, but the Yankees also lost 41 home runs, 109 RBI, and an elite on-base threat in Soto.
The pitching staff is among the best in the sport, but their lack of star power alongside Judge is a major concern, especially come postseason time. The lack of certainty, especially without Stanton, is alarming, and makes Soto's departure sting even more.