Uh oh: Yankees decide to play hardball after replacing Juan Soto with...Max Fried

The New York Yankees might've lost Juan Soto, but they rebounded appropriately by signing Max Fried to a massive eight-year deal. No, Fried isn't Soto, but he's still a star. He's a bonafide frontline arm who will fit in perfectly behind Gerrit Cole.

Getting Fried was absolutely a win for New York (even if eight years was a bit steep), but a one-for-one swap of Soto for Fried is obviously not good enough if the Yankees want to win the World Series in 2025. On paper, they're worse right now than the team that they had with Soto.

Obviously, losing Soto stings, but there is a path for New York to potentially field an even better team without the generational outfielder. Spreading the money around toward several high-end players instead of one would put New York right back into World Series contention.

Getting Fried to kick things off was a great start, but more had to be done. Unfortunately, the Yankees appear to be playing hardball at the worst time with players who'd fit in perfectly.

The Yankees have expressed interest in signing Christian Walker, but are worried about the draft capital it'd take to sign him. They're also interested in trading for Cody Bellinger but are far apart in discussions with the Chicago Cubs with the financials. The Yankees would like the Cubs to eat more of Bellinger's money than the Cubs want to.

While these are understandable concerns, the Yankees are going to have to do something while they have the chance.

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Yankees appear to have picked the worst possible time to play hardball

Walker would be a perfect fit at first base for the Yankees, providing the team with outstanding power and defense. What's even better is since he's already in his mid-30s, he won't be seeking a massive long-term commitment. However, he did reject the qualifying offer, meaning that it'd require draft compensation to sign him. The Yankees already lost two draft picks and international bonus money to sign Fried (although they gained a pick when Soto signed with the Mets). Would they be willing to part with two more picks and even more money to sign Walker?

Bellinger makes a lot of sense for the Yankees too. He's a left-handed hitter, has had some monstrous seasons, and can play both the outfield and first base - two positions of need. His problem is that he's owed $27.5 million this upcoming season (with a $5 million buyout if he opts out after 2025) and another $25 million if he opts in after 2025. The Yankees, understandably, want the Cubs to cover a significant portion of that. The Cubs, also understandably, don't want to pay a player much money to wear another uniform.

So now, we have to wonder what exactly will the Yankees do? They could pivot to Pete Alonso to play first base, but he comes with the qualifying offer. The same can be said for both Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernandez - the best outfielders on the market. Even Alex Bregman, the best third baseman available, comes with the qualifying offer. The Yankees have shown hesitance to lose more draft capital.

They could sign players like Carlos Santana, Paul Goldschmidt, Jurickson Profar, and Ha-Seong Kim to fill voids, but is that really good enough?

The time to win is right now. Aaron Judge (32) and Gerrit Cole (34) are not getting any younger. Max Fried will be 31 by the time Opening Day arrives. Who knows how good this core will be in a couple of years?

Losing a couple of additional draft picks would hurt, but adding a player of Walker's caliber would help immensely. Bellinger might be overpaid, but he'd be a good addition, too. The Yankees need to make an uncomfortable move or two if they want to win. There is no perfect option out there. They won't add stars without paying up financially or with draft picks. Playing hardball, especially after losing Soto, is not a winning strategy. Getting deals done even if they're not perfect (like Fried's) is.