The New York Yankees must be desperate to land a superstar like Juan Soto this offseason. Brian Cashman mentioned earlier during the General Manager’s Meeting in Arizona that they are on the lookout for a lefty slugger. Now, the offseason is about to get to the most important part when the teams have to decide between the two: who to keep and who to let go. Moreover, the Yankees have some very good assets for the future. But they want to add the superstar Juan Soto to their roster. He is the ideal choice for the lefty slugger the franchise was looking for, and he’s very young.
Moreover, the NY side might not be able to sign him for a long-term deal. They can only sign him for a year. After the next season, Soto will be a free agent and eligible for a long-term deal. Anyhow, the Yankees might have to trade valuable assets to the San Diego Padres if they really want Juan Soto. It is part of the Padres’ plan to use Soto as a weapon to bolster their roster with young, talented rosters. As per recent rumors, the Friars have asked the Yankees for assets like Michael King and Clarke Schmidt as a trade package for Juan Soto.
Is It A Good Idea To Trade Michael King And Clarke Schmidt For Landing Juan Soto?
There maybe more players the Padres may need from the Yankees for Soto, like Drew Thorpe. If The Bronx Bombers agree to this deal, it can create a lot of pressure next season. Giving up on these assets can ruin the balance and depth of the roster. Albeit, King and Schmidt didn’t perform exceedingly well in 2023, the Yankees know they’ve potential. King had 2.75 ERA and 127 strikeouts in four wins. On the other hand, in 159 innings, Schmidt claimed 149 strikeouts.
Sources: Momentum has stalled — for now at least — on Yankees/Padres Juan Soto talks (via @martinonyc) https://t.co/9p26xms4vk pic.twitter.com/8XG1rbnsWl
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 1, 2023
But Schmidt’s ERA is slightly above 4. The Padres want to test the NY side’s motivation behind acquiring Juan Soto. They might want more compensation to trade the 25-year-old superstar lefty outfielder. Now, the question is if the Yankees should take so much risk with Soto or if they can wait and see what happens with Cody Bellinger. Moreover, they also plan to land the Japanese superstar pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yankees Need Lefty Outfielders To Improve Their Offense
Why the Yankees need lefty hitters more than pitchers? The NY side has a pretty good bullpen. They can even use some quality pitchers for trade purposes. But they need a hitter to bolster their offense. The Bronx Bombers finished with a terrible batting average in 2023. They were the second worst in terms of batting average last season. The Oakland Athletics were the worst. But 27-time champions look for redemption.
They want to end the drought of a World Series victory in the franchise’s history of the last thirteen years. Failing to make the postseason this year was a tremendous shame for the NY franchise. An 82-80 record can’t make any fan happy. Albeit, they maintained the streak of winning seasons. But that’s not enough for the most successful side in the league’s history.
