Projected Yankees lineup if star-studded Juan Soto backup plan is put into action

After a triumphant return to the World Series ended in a spectacular (and spectacularly embarrassing) flame-out to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees have their sights set on a splashy offseason. And no splash would be bigger than bringing back their former outfielder, Juan Soto: Future Hall of Famers just hitting their prime do not hit the market very often, and convincing Soto to re-sign is No. 1 with a bullet on Brian Cashman's to-do list.

Unfortunately for New York, he's No. 1 for a lot of other teams, too. And right now, momentum seems to be on the side of the Yankees' crosstown rivals, the New York Mets: This year's run to the NLCS is one heck of a recruiting pitch, and if Soto is set on taking the highest offer available, it certainly sounds as though owner Steve Cohen refuses to be outbid. USA Today's Bob Nightengale said as much in his latest column on Monday, citing sources around the league that view the Mets as the "clear-cut favorite" right now.

Watching Soto sign just a few miles east would be a devastating blow for the Yankees and their fans. But if you're looking to find a silver lining amid all these recent reports, take heart: Nightengale also mentioned what New York's plan B could look like if they miss out on Soto, and it might actually leave the overall roster in a better place.

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Projected Yankees dream lineup without Juan Soto

Here's what Nightengale had to say:

"If the New York Yankees don’t re-sign Juan Soto, one back-up plan floating around is signing free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, sign either Willy Adames or Alex Bregman to play third, shift Jazz Chisholm to second base, trade for Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger, and then use the extra money to sign Burnes, Fried or Snell."

What would that look like on the field? Let's break down the projected everyday lineup.

Yankees sign Alex Bregman, shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base to replace Gleyber Torres

Beyond Soto, the next biggest hole for Cashman to fill is at second base, where Gleyber Torres seems as good as gone in free agency. Beyond Torres, the market is awfully short on quality middle infielders, but what if New York could solve the problem without signing a middle infielder at all?

The Houston Astros would like to re-sign Bregman, but it sure seems like player and team are very, very far apart in negotiations right now. Bregman is coming off of a bit of a down season offensively (by his standards, anyway), and there's some risk as he moves away from the very hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park, but even his floor is a solid bat with an excellent glove — in other words, a valuable all-around player, and one whose contact-oriented approach would bring welcome balance to a Yankees order that can be long on swing and miss.

Other teams figure to be in on Bregman as well, from the Boston Red Sox to the Toronto Blue Jays to the Detroit Tigers. But if the Yankees miss on Soto, few suitors would seem to offer the combination of money and competitiveness Bregman seeks, and there's no better way for New York to upgrade its infield talent this winter.

Yankees sign Christian Walker to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base

Anthony Rizzo is set to move on this offseason, and New York needs to finally find a solution at the cold corner after years of subpar production. Walker isn't the splashiest first baseman on the market, but there's reason to believe that he'll be a much better value than Pete Alonso: At age 33, he'll come cheaper, and while he might not have Alonso's power upside, he's been a relentlessly consistent hitter who shows no signs of slowing down. (He's posted an OPS+ between 120 and 125 over each of the last three seasons while missing just 39 total games in that span.)

Even better, he's a Gold Glove-caliber defender; between he and Bregman, this version of the Yankees would be a dramatic upgrade in the fielding department, music to fans' ears after how this past season ended. Signing Walker to a three-year deal at a high average annual value would be a great piece of business.

Yankees trade for Cody Bellinger, slide Aaron Judge to right field to replace Juan Soto

Finally, we arrive at the million-dollar question: What to do in the outfield if Soto moves on?

Chasing another corner bat like Teoscar Hernandez is also an option, but maybe a suboptimal fit: It's long past time to hand Dominguez an everyday job, and for as valuable as his versatility is, Judge profiles better in a corner as he ages into his 30s. There aren't a ton of inspiring center fielders on the free-agent market this winter, which means that Cashman could look to acquire a long-time target via trade.

The Cubs are telling anyone who will listen that they'd love to get rid of Bellinger, who surprised the team and fans by opting in to another year of his contract at $27.5 million. That's a lot for a player who was much closer to average than an All-Star in 2024, but the Yankees will have room to eat that salary in a world where Soto walks, and there's reason to believe that Bellinger's bat could play up with the short porch at Yankee Stadium. He also gives New York another lefty in its lineup to replace Soto, balancing out righty bats like Judge, Bregman, Walker and Giancarlo Stanton.

Not a ton of teams figure to be interested in acquiring Bellinger at that salary, so the Yankees could swing a deal despite a good-not-great farm system. Obviously the team would prefer to sign Soto, but this lineup would be about as deep and dangerous as any in the Majors; and remember, it would leave some money left over to put, say, Blake Snell alongside Gerrit Cole at the top of the rotation.