Previewing the Yankees’ 2025 free agent class and contract options

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The New York Yankees have a hefty class of impending free agents, headlined by 26-year-old superstar outfielder Juan Soto who enjoyed a career-best campaign. He’s not the only key part of this pennant-winning squad set to hit the market, as Gleyber Torres, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Tim Hill are among others in this group. There are some big-time player or club options involved as well, with Gerrit Cole having a unique player option and Anthony Rizzo having a club option for the 2025 campaign.

Between figuring out who the Yankees will use their Qualifying Offers on and who they should retain, there are plenty of questions Brian Cashman and his team have to answer in the next few days as they stare down the barrel of another pivotal winter.

Looking At the Yankees’ Unrestricted Free Agents

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Juan Soto: Age: 26 | WAR: 8.1 | QO Eligible: Yes

The New York Yankees will 100% offer Juan Soto the Qualifying Offer and he will 100% reject it, but this is just to ensure that in the nightmare scenario where he leaves, the team will get draft compensation. Juan Soto is the best player on the free agent market and is one of the best players in baseball, providing an endless list of huge hits while improving his game power from years past. Entering his age-26 season next year, expect aggressive bids from other teams, but there’s no excuse not to bring back the star outfielder and make him a part of his core for a while.

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Gleyber Torres: Age: 27 | WAR: 1.7 | QO Eligible: Yes

Perhaps the most interesting player in this free agent class, Gleyber Torres will hit free agency after a season with plenty of highs and lows. He showed up when they needed him most in the second half and postseason where he provided a stable presence to the top of the lineup, and while he cooled off in the World Series, there’s reason to want him back on this team in 2025. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees decide to move on with the infield depth they have at second base and third base, but even more interesting is whether he gets the QO or not.

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Clay Holmes: Age: 32 | WAR: 1.2 | QO Eligible: Yes

With a 3.14 ERA and 3.02 FIP, I’d be shocked if Clay Holmes doesn’t have a robust market as a reliever with a great sinker, two plus sliders, and even a four-seamer he started messing around with in the playoffs. His 2.25 ERA and +0.13 WPA in the Yankees’ run to the World Series should help his stock a good bit, and while I doubt he returns, I would at least look at his price tag. He’s a good reliever but I’m not sure he’s good enough to get the QO, whereas I think the Yankees would welcome a one-year $21 million deal for Gleyber Torres, I don’t think they want to pay that much for a reliever.

READ MORE: Yankees’ free agent outfielder expresses desire to stay

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Alex Verdugo: Age: 29 | WAR: 0.6 | QO Eligible: Yes

Had Alex Verdugo been a 100 wRC+ hitter this season he may have been one of the more well-liked players on the team as his glove was a legitimate asset to the Yankees this season. The problem? He instead put up an 83 wRC+ and is the kind of player the team should show no interest in reuniting with for 2025. Teach Trent Grisham left field if you need someone to have wait in the wings in case Jasson Dominguez is either not ready or hurt, this trade didn’t work out well for the Yankees.

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Tim Hill: Age: 35 | WAR: 0.5 | QO Eligible: Yes

If I told you that a reliever a 34-year-old reliever with a 90 MPH fastball was going to become the best left-handed reliever on the 2024 Yankees, you’d think I was crazy, but Tim Hill was awesome. He posted a 2.05 ERA with the Yankees and allowed just one earned run in 10 appearances in the postseason, as the slinging southpaw showed off elite damage suppression abilities that could make him an option to return in 2025. It’s unlikely that he comes at a high price tag, and with the team’s lack of left-handed bullpen depth, Hill would slot into this bullpen seamlessly.

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Tommy Kahnle: Age: 35 | WAR: 0.1 | QO Eligible: Yes

Tommy Kahnle is a simple man, he’ll throw changeups, get outs, and then go about his day. The Yankees may not bring him back because of his injury history and age, but those two variables also might make him affordable enough to accept those two risks He posted a 2.11 ERA with a 58.6% GB% this season, it’s kind of hard to ignore how valuable that can be for a team. Kahnle’s Game 5 outing stunk but it shouldn’t define just how good he’s been for the Yankees during his two-year contract.

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Jonathan Loaisiga: Age: 30 | WAR: 0.1 | QO Eligible: Yes

Jonathan Loaisiga has shown flashes of being one of the best closers in the game, but injuries have held him back from achieving his full potential. His sinker is a bowling ball pitch that hitters can’t square up while his changeup and curveball are wicked secondaries with high whiff potential, but with just 20 appearances since 2022, the Yankees would be taking a risk if they retained him. It’s a risk I would take though; there’s a good chance he signs a cheap deal and if the Yankees end up getting a somewhat healthy Loaisiga, he could be a great late-game weapon.

Going Through the Yankees’ Contract Options

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Gerrit Cole: Age: 34 | WAR: 1.8 | Option: Player

This entire section will be dedicated to reminding people that the Yankees control whether Gerrit Cole becomes a free agent or not, even if his option is a player option. By adding an extra year to his contract, the Yankees would void this opt-out and prevent Cole from becoming a free agent. Technically speaking, that would make this the richest pitching contract ever once again, since it would be a 10-year commitment at $360 million. While his stuff declined from his peak years, his command, depth of arsenal, and sequencing have greatly improved. He’ll remain on the roster.

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Luke Weaver: Age: 31 | WAR: 1.8 | Option: Club

After enjoying a breakout season, Luke Weaver has a club option for the 2025 season that the Yankees are going to pick up. This section isn’t about why they should or will, but rather proposes the idea of a potential extension that could kick in after the 2025 season. They need to keep him at a $2.5 million price tag for the 2025 season since it keeps them more financially flexible in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but his stuff and command are elite. I wonder if he would reject a two-year $30 million extension that kicks in during the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Yankees expected to make ‘competitive’ offer for generational outfielder

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Anthony Rizzo: Age: 35 | WAR: -0.2 | Option: Club

Anthony Rizzo hasn’t had a wRC+ above 100 since 2022, is going to turn 36 during the 2025 season, and his Sprint Speed is slower than Giancarlo Stanton’s. Not only should they decline the option and pay him the $6 million buyout, but they should not bring him back on a cheaper deal as well. The Yankees need to properly address first base with someone who can bring a legitimate bat, as they didn’t get a home run from a first baseman over the final three months of the 2024 season.

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Lou Trivino: Age: 33 | WAR: N/A | Option: Club

The Yankees are not going to pay $5 million to roster Lou Trivino in 2025 after not throwing a single pitch at the Major League level last year. The organization could bring him back still if they decline the option, similar to how they non-tendered him after 2023 and proceeded to hand him this deal around Spring Training. He had success with the Yankees after the 2022 trade deadline but just keeps getting hurt, which has affected his pitch quality and overall value a ton. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him randomly appear at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 21st.

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