There may be a way for the New York Yankees to keep AL MVP favorite Juan Soto and save money at the end of the year.
Steve Miller of Heavy Sports identified three prospects that could take the reigns for Yankees veterans who have contracts that are eating up cap space on their payroll.
He campaigned for the Yankees to buy first baseman Anthony Rizzo out of his $17 million contract and promote infielder Ben Rice, which would save $11 million. Also, to give outfielder Jasson Dominguez a chance to shine in the big leagues and let Alex Verdugo walk in free agency along with the potential eight-figure salary he’d garner, and to give INF Caleb Durbin a call-up while transitioning off of Gleyber Torres and his $14 million price tag.
Yankees want to avoid $300M in payroll while keeping Juan Soto in town
The Yankees will only have roughly $95 million to work with should they ink Soto to an expected deal worth $48 million annually when including him alongside their seven-man core of stars under contract for 2025. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is not fond of the $300 million salary cap threshold and has been vocal for months about wanting to stay away from that marker. He does not believe that such spending is necessary in order to field a World Series-caliber team.
Yankees’ prospects could all pitch into winning efforts out of the gates
The young talents that could help New York save money are all ready contributors that could make an immediate impact. Dominguez hit a home run off of likely Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander in his MLB debut on Sept. 1, 2023, and is expected to be a formidable presence at the plate.
Rice has established himself as a reliable hitter for power and average with 15 home runs and a .278 ERA in 198 at-bats at Triple-A Scranton and Durbin excels as a base stealer, with 20 steals in 177 at-bats alongside a .299 batting average next to Rice.
The Yankees already have a roster that could take home a championship this year. The players they’d be saying goodbye to in favor of their young prospects would not devastate their bottom line in the immediate future. All three prospects also have the potential to mature in a short window of time while adjusting to MLB competition. No matter, to free up cap space and ensure that Soto remains happy in New York, these three chess moves could help the Yankees erect a longstanding castle for years to come.