5 moves Yankees absolutely must make if they whiff on Juan Soto

Re-signing Juan Soto is clearly the Yankees' top offseason priority. Losing him would rob manager Aaron Boone of a transcendent bat in the middle of his every day lineup. Expect New York to be a factor in his free agency talks right up until the day he signs a lucrative contract extension.

It's up to GM Brian Cashman and his staff to work on contingency plans in the event that Soto receives a contract offer from another team that exceeds the franchise's price range. That's an unlikely outcome but it's not impossible. The key for New York is to know how they can pivot if Soto walks.

The following five decisions won't allow the Yankees to recover from whiffing on Soto on their own, but they would give the team a chance to improve in 2025.

Yankees move No. 5: Sign Corbin Burnes

If the Yankees aren't able to sign The Athletic's No. 1 free agent then it only makes since they should turn their attention to the second player on the list. Landing Corbin Burnes would give New York arguably the top 1-2 starting pitching combination in MLB.

Prying the 29-year-old away from the division rival Orioles would be an added bonus for the Yankees. Burnes will be the pitcher who receives the biggest free-agent contract of the offseason. If New York misses out on Soto they will have more than enough money to meet his asking price.

The Yankees need to focus their attention in strengthening their postseason roster if they want to end their World Series drought. Adding another ace like Burnes is the single biggest way New York can help knife through a postseason series. Expect Cashman to move quickly to land Burnes if he gets news that Soto won't be wearing pinstripes next year.

Yankees move No. 4: Move for Christian Walker in free agency

Christian Walker cannot replace Soto's production in the middle of the Yankee lineup, but he can give the team a major boost over what they got from the first base position last season. He's a far better hitter than Anthony Rizzo at this stage of their respective careers. Throw in his gold glove defensive ability and it's easy to understand his appeal for New York.

The question about Walker is just how many years he's going to get via his next contract. He's already 33-years-old which makes age-related regression a major concern for any team that signs him. The Yankees would be wise to limit the number of years on his next deal to make sure they aren't stuck with a bloated contract when his performance wanes.

That might not be possible given the number of teams that will chase Walker with vigor on the open market. The Yankees should not go crazy on a deal for Walker but they should make sure no one outbids him within reason. He would give the team's offense and defense the sort of modest increase that could boost their win total in 2025.

Yankees move No. 3: Give Jasson Dominguez a starting job

The Yankees will spend a lot of money in free agency no matter what Soto does. That places pressure on the young talent inside the organization to contribute in 2025. Jasson Dominguez is the team's prospect best positioned to transition into a starting role next year.

Dominguez was in position to take on that kind of responsibility before injuries limited him in 2024. A healthy offseason should allow him to work on his defense to a point where he can play a full-time role in the outfield. There are little questions that his offensive ceiling is high enough to justify regular starting at-bats at the major league level.

Dominguez is going to face a lot of ups-and-downs if the Yankees trust him as a starter next year. The key for Boone and his staff will be to be patient with him and let him play through his mistakes. That kind of investment could pay off handsomely for the franchise in October.

Yankees move No. 2: Move Anthony Volpe back to the leadoff spot

Anthony Volpe started last season at the top of Boone's batting order and he did not perform well enough to keep the job. Gleyber Torres became the team's leadoff hitter down the stretch, but he's probably going to depart in free agency. It's time for New York to turn back to their young shortstop to set the table for Aaron Judge and company.

Volpe can put pressure on opponents with his speed any time he gets on base. The key for him will be to make sure he gets enough hits to steal the quantity of bases he's capable of. Taking more pitches would also improve his ability to occupy the top spot in the order.

There's little doubt that Volpe is going to be the everyday shortstop for the Yankees for the foreseeable future. It's time for him to reemerge as the leadoff hitter as well. Subtracting Soto from the No. 2 spot in the order will require New York to have a more dynamic player to start games. Volpe has the potential to fill that void in a major way.

Yankees move No. 1: Rebuild the bullpen

The lack of power arms available out of the bullpen really hurt the Yankees in the postseason. The good news for New York is that it's relatively easy to remake a group of high-leverage arms on the fly in free agency.

Tanner Scott is an obvious target for the Yankees in free agency. He's just the sort of power, southpaw arm that can be a difference-maker in a playoff series. The former Padres standout will be a popular man in free agency but New York has the financial might to outbid the competiton.

The organization should also be open to bringing back Clay Holmes if the price is right. He may never turn into the sort of closer that New York thought he could become, but it's reasonable to think his luck will improve in 2025. That could make him a valuable seventh or eight-inning reliever with his power sinker.

Rolling the dice on another one or two power arms could help give Boone far superior late-inning options than he enjoyed last season. This can be a season-long project for Cashman and the front office. Don't look for the Opening Day options to be who the Yankees go with in October.