3 Yankees free agents not named Juan Soto who won't be back next season and why

The New York Yankees put up a valiant effort to make it to the postseason and compete for a World Series. Ultimately, they came up short to the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing the series at the hands of Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani.

Now that we're heading into the offseason, officially, the Yankees front office can fully turn their attention towards priority number one: re-signing superstar outfielder Juan Soto.

While I believe that Soto will remain a Yankee, getting him back to the Bronx will have lasting effects on the rest of free agency. With Soto set to ink a deal worth north of $500 million, there will be other free agents that won't be brought back to New York in 2025.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

New York Yankees free agent who won't be back – Juan Soto stays put

3. OF Alex Verdugo

While the Yankees and Aaron Boone were big fans of Alex Verdugo all season long, the outfield of the future in New York is Jasson Dominguez, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, if all goes according to plan. Dominguez has struggled to find consistent playing time and it has everything to do with Verdugo being ahead of him, but that shouldn't last any longer.

Verdugo, 28, struggled badly in 2024. He slashed .233/.291/.356, posting an OPS+ below 100 for the first time since his age 22 season. He has steadily declined over the last few seasons and the Yankees can't afford to bring him back for the price tag that another team will be willing to give him.

Dominguez, on the other hand, has all the tools to be a superstar in the game. He's a switch hitter with the raw power that blows scouts away. He hasn't be able to get comfortable in the big leagues just yet, but he's still young and growing. 2025 is the perfect time to slot him into the lineup and let him play.

This one is very simple. New York will likely make an attempt to bring Verdugo back, but they won't overpay for him. There are teams around the league that won't make an attempt at the big free agents, so they would be more inclined to overpay for Verdugo.

2. RHP Clay Holmes

Clay Holmes was one of, if not the top reliever in the game of baseball for a good majority of the first half of the season. Holmes was otherworldly dominant up until a few weeks before the All-Star break. And when the wheels fell off for Holmes, they really fell off.

On June 9, Holmes notched his 19th save, lowering his season ERA to 1.23 alongside just three blown saves. Over the course of the next few months, Holmes would see his ERA rise to 3.32 by Sept. 11. At this time, Holmes was now up to 12 blown saves and 29 successful saves on the year. The righty would end the year 30 for 43 on save opportunities. He lost his closer role heading into the postseason.

Now, Holmes is set to enter free agency and there's not a great chance that he ends up back in the Bronx. The fan base has long turned their backs on him and whether you like it or not, and that means something to players in their free agency decisions. Holmes will likely be looking for a fresh start with a new team, making a good chunk of cash while the Yankees will seek out improved options for their bullpen. These two should mutually split this winter.

1. 1B Anthony Rizzo

Earlier in the season, it was pretty clear that the Yankees would be opting into Anthony Rizzo's $17 million team option that's attached to his contract. But as time has gone by and Rizzo has either struggled or been hurt, it's getting tougher and tougher to imagine the Yankees spending nearly $20 million to bring Rizzo back. They could go out and get a much better first baseman, say Christian Walker or Pete Alonso, for around $25 million to $30 million AAV.

Rizzo, 35, slashed .228/.301/.335 and posted a sub-100 OPS+ for the second straight season. The veteran isn't getting any younger either. His performance and health have slowly diminished over time and it's getting pretty difficult to bet on him being available or playing well when he is healthy.

At the end of the day, the top priority for Brian Cashman will be bringing Soto back, whether that costs the team upwards of $600 million or not. When you're dealing with a contract that large, the $17 million from Rizzo's contract would be worth much more going to Soto in his deal than it is going to Rizzo. Baseball is a business at the end of the day.