Juan Soto was a great addition to the New York Yankees during the last offseason. The NY side needed a superstar lefty slugger whose hitting style would be perfect for the iconic ballpark. Moreover, they needed someone who could boost the offense alongside Aaron Judge. The last season was a forgettable one for the offense of the Bronx Bombers. It was so bad that they could not make the postseason in 2023. For the first time since 2016, the NY side failed to make the playoffs. Moreover, the Pinstripes had the second-worst batting average in the league behind the Oakland Athletics. Hence, the addition of Juan Soto was a major boost for the team’s offense.
Since the start of the 2024 regular season, fans could see a real change in the dynamic of the Yankees offense. In the ongoing season, the offense looks like a potential juggernaut as Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are leading the lineup. Despite the Judge-Soto duo enjoying a historic season, the rest of the lineup has been very inconsistent. So far, they have not been able to provide a solid supporting cast. Hence, there are a few sluggers who might not stay part of the lineup when their contracts expire after the 2024 season.
Alex Verdugo Might Not Play For The Yankees Next Season
It was a big surprise when the arch-rivals Boston Red Sox traded Alex Verdugo to the 27-time World Series champions. Anyway, the outfielder will be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season. He sure enjoyed a solid start wearing the iconic Pinstripe uniform. However, gradually, the outfielder started to slow down and, at present seems to having the worst season in his career in terms of hitting production. Currently, Verdugo is slashing .237/.296/.363 with a .83 OPS+, and has hit 58 RBIs and also 12 homers over 135 games.
First Baseman, Anthony Rizzo, Might Not Return As A Yankee In 2025
In 2021, Anthony Rizzo joined the Yankees. Next year, he signed a two-year extension worth $32 million. Since then, he has been injured a lot of times, which has limited his stay on the field. Moreover, Rizzo’s offensive production has diminished remarkably, too. In 2024, he has been slashing .220/.284/.333 with a 77 OPS+ over 78 games. So far, in 2024, the first baseman has hit eight homers and 31 RBIs.
Gleyber Torres Is In Real Danger To Lose His Place On The Roster
In 2018, Gleyber Torres made his debut for the Yankees. At the end of the 2024 season, there is a good possibility that the second baseman’s seven-year stay at the Bronx might come to an end. For the ongoing season, Torres had signed a $14.2 million extension. However, he is having pretty much his worst MLB season. Currently, the second baseman is slashing .250/.328/.363 and a 94 OPS+. Also, he has hit 12 homers so far in 2024. On top of that, Torres is leading the league in errors on the list of all second-basemen.
Yankees Could Lose Juan Soto Too
Before reaching free agency, the Dominican superstar signed with the Yankees for a one-year deal worth $31 million. So far, in the ongoing season, Juan Soto has been displaying an MVP-caliber season. Anyway, his partner in baseball crime has been overshadowing Soto’s accomplishments this year. Currently, the 2020 NL Batting Champion is slashing .292/.423/.582, also while hitting 98 RBIs, 38 home runs, and 180 OPS+.
Despite Soto having nothing short of a stellar season in pinstripes, he might not stay in the Bronx next year. A record-breaking free agency contract might come the Dominican slugger’s way at the end of this season. Moreover, Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman will try their best to keep Soto in the Bronx. They might even come up with a contract extension offer worth around $500 million.
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