Breaking: Yankees preparing to push past $300 million payroll for superstar
One year ago today, the New York Yankees feared they may have lost superstar slugger Aaron Judge to the San Francisco Giants, but that was far from the truth. Judge ended up signing a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Bombers, but the team isn’t done reinforcing the roster with elite talent.
The Yankees are on the 1-yard line regarding a Juan Soto trade with the San Diego Padres that would likely send several top pitchers on the roster across the country. MLB-ready starter Michael King is expected to headline the deal, but top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe is also expected to be included. That is not to mention several other prospects with varying degrees of talent that could be involved in the trade.
Can the Yankees Keep Spending?
However, many are questioning whether the Yankees are willing to spend the estimated $30 million on Soto in his final year of arbitration and make a strong push for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of the most highly sought-after pitchers on the free-agent market.
Yamamoto is a 25-year-old international star who has pitched three consecutive seasons with at least 170 innings. This past year, he tossed 164 innings, specifically in the JPPL, including 171 across all competitions. He hosted a 1.21 ERA, allowing 22 earned runs, two home runs, and 169 batters with the Orix Buffaloes.
Fortunately, according to Andy Martino of SNY, sources close to Hal Steinbrenner believe he’s willing to push past $300 million to acquire Soto and Yamamoto, which would blow any prior off-season out of the water. Steinbrenner recently indicated that a $300 million payroll isn’t necessary to win a championship, but he has the financial resources, and he certainly seems to be taking after his father, spending his way out of adversity.
The Yankees finished 82–80 this past season and needed significant reinforcements. Adding a Hall of Fame level player in Soto would overhaul most of their offensive liabilities in one swift move, not to mention the acquisition of Alex Verdugo to fill one of the outfield spots.
The Yankees are clearly aggressive and they are far from done. This off-season has the makings of a World Series-caliber turnaround.
Juan Soto trade to New York Yankees ‘close to finalized’: 4 more big moves they could make this offseason
A new report claims the New York Yankees are close to finalizing a trade for their top target this offseason, Juan Soto. That could open the door to several more big moves over the next month.
This is a big offseason for the Yankees as they try to bounce back from one of their worst years of this century. While the team was able to maintain its streak of “winning records” in 2023, their 82-80 finish fell well below the expectations of the legendary franchise.
However, the organization reportedly does not want to add a huge amount of salary to their already large payroll this offseason. That means general manager Brian Cashman will have to thread the needle and be creative in finding ways to make them a title contender again without handing out massive contracts.
Well, it seems like he and the front office are off to a good start if new reports are true. On Wednesday afternoon, MLB Network league insider Jon Morosi reported that a “Juan Soto trade to the Yankees is now ‘close to being finalized,’ source confirms.”
The Yankees have been linked to a trade for the All-Star outfielder for weeks, and despite reports last week that talks had stalled due to the Padres’ high asking price, Morosi claims New York has given into San Diego’s demands and will send top pitching prospects Michael King and Drew Thorpe to the Pads in the deal.
Soto fills many needs for the team heading into the offseason and is a huge addition to the lineup for 2024. However, the New York Yankees won’t end their offseason remodeling there. Let’s look at four other big moves the team could make in December.
4 big moves the New York Yankees might make after completing the Juan Soto trade
Sign Jordan Montgomery or Eduardo Rodriguez
One of the Yankees’ top priorities this offseason is to improve their starting pitching depth behind American League Cy Young Gerrit Cole. While they have been linked to Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, his asking price will likely be too much after new reports suggested he could get as much as $300 million in free agency.
That is why bringing back former homegrown product Jordan Montgomery or veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez may be the way the team goes in the coming weeks. Both had very strong seasons last year and while they won’t be cheap, will come at far more affordable rates than the likes of Yamamoto or Blake Snell.
Trade Gleyber Torres to replenish the farm system
There have been rumblings since last year that the team has looked into the idea of trading Gleyber Torres. While trading a two-time All-Star second baseman who just hit 25 home runs isn’t a preferred option, his defense is a problem and the organization wants one of their young prospects to man his spot in the years to come.
Furthermore, moving him slash the money they could use to re-sign Soto next winter and they could aim to replenish some of their farm system that was gutted in the Padres trade.
Target Japanese outfielder Jung-Hoo Lee
Although the Yankees made a trade on Tuesday for Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo, he is better suited as a fourth outfielder. That is why Japanese native and Korean league star Jung-Hoo Lee would be a good fit for New York.
He is a gold glove-level center fielder who plays like his idol Ichiro Suzuki. He is the on-base machine they need, improves their outfield defense, and is a long-term backup option if Soto does not re-sign for 2025 and beyond.
Add elite closer Josh Hader
The New York Yankees got a very solid effort from Clay Holmes as their closer last season, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to continue in that role. However, the Pinstripes are at their best when they have an elite closer and one is available this offseason in Josh Hader.
Signing Hader to be the closer and moving Holmes to the setup role would give them an elite one-two punch again late in games and also stop him from landing with the champion Texas Rangers as has been rumored.
