The New York Yankees are gearing up to make significant changes this offseason. They did not have a season to remember this year. It has been a tremendous shame for the NY side to fail to make the postseason. But it was their first time since the 2016 season. Later, Brian Cashman clearly said what they were looking for in the current free agency market. The Yankees are looking for a couple of lefty outfielders and some reinforcements for the bullpen as well. Albeit, they have a good bunch of pitchers available on their roster. But the Yankees want the biggest names available in the market, except Shohei Ohtani.
The unicorn is way too expensive for the 27-time champions. Anyway, the next best option is Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres. Albeit, he is not a current free agent. The Padres are apparently willing to trade him because they plan to slash payroll. However, Soto is a one-year rental because his contract with the Padres would expire at the end of the next season anyway. Hence, it may not be very easy to decide on Soto right away. The other player is Cody Bellinger, who the Yankees would like to add.
Two Rival Executives Give Opposite Views On What Yankees Should Do About Their Trade Targets – Juan Soto And Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger is a superstar free agent available, and he won’t be as expensive as Juan Soto. But there are risks to buying either of them. According to NJ Advance Media, there are two anonymous rival team executives who shared their opinions on the Yankees trade target during the Winter Meetings. The first executive said the Yankees need to do something this offseason if they don’t want to upset their fans. That executive also said the Yankees may have very little chance to excel in 2024 without Juan Soto or Cody Bellinger.
On the other hand, the second executive claims the Yankees must be smart enough to pass out on Bellinger and Soto. Adding to that, the second one said looking at the return cost and costs for 2025 and the future, there’s a huge risk for the Yankees with the Soto or the Bellinger deal. Moreover, the second executive didn’t sound like a big Bellinger fan as he added that signing him could worsen things for the Yankees than their Jacoby Ellsbury fiasco.
Aaron Boone’s Team Faced Several Problems This Year
Under Aaron Boone’s managerial tenure, the team could have performed better. But they used to make the postseason since Boone joined in 2018. However, they finished with an 82-80 record in 2023. In the process, they could not qualify for the playoffs. Moreover, the team has been struggling with multiple injury issues.
The Yankees are also an aging team, as they don’t have an abundant supply of youthful talents. But the few young players they have also faced injury scare like Jasson Dominguez. Moreover, they had an abysmal batting average in 2023. It was only better than the Oakland Athletics in the league. Hence, they need power in their offense. That’s what they are looking for this offseason.