The Yankees have been linked to various top free agent and trade targets, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto heading this free agent class and Juan Soto heading the free agent market. While questions swirl about the team’s ability to distribute enough assets and resources to add multiple nine-figure contracts considering their financial commitments already on the roster, Jon Heyman of the New York Post believes that the team might go all-out.
In a segment on MLB Now, Jon Heyman stated that he believed the Yankees could land two of the three biggest names linked to the Yankees, that being Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. While this would require a lot of money, the team is in desperate need of star power, and Hal Steinbrenner might try to act like his father and throw money at the team’s problems.
This Winter is Shaping to Be a Crucial One for the Yankees
The Yankees have certainly made headlines this offseason, and that’s without making a real splash yet. While the team did make a trade when they sent Jake Bauers to the Brewers, their biggest commotions have been from Brian Cashman’s fiery defense of the organization and its employees. Hal Steinbrenner’s presser also revealed a dissatisfied owner who knows that this fanbase demands nothing less than greatness. Great would be the last adjective that anybody would use to talk about the 2023 Yankees, especially in regard to their offense.
Finishing just 27th in OBP (.304) and 29th in BA (.227), the Yankees were in the bottom half in baseball in various offensive metrics, and they’ll look for a makeover. Aaron Judge, the captain and their best hitter by far, is already entering his age-32 season, and recently-named Cy Young Winner Gerrit Cole is already 33. The time to act is now for the Yankees, who don’t want to leave their star duo without a ring for much longer.
Jon Heyman indicated that he believes the Yankees will land two of the three aforementioned stars, and it’s clear that the fanbase wants one of those names more than any player in recent memory: Juan Soto. The 25-year-old left-handed superstar is the best fit for the Yankees in an extremely long time, and that’s because every team in the sport could use Juan Soto. Who wouldn’t want a hitter who walks more than they strike out with 30+ HR power and a clear Hall of Fame path?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also of great interest to the Yankees, who want to add a starter in their rotation to pair with Gerrit Cole. The 25-year-old right-hander is the clearcut best pitcher on this market, and is the three-time winner of the Sawamura Award (NPB’s Cy Young), winning those three in the past three years. Over that stretch he’s claimed three Triple Crowns and two MVPs, sporting a 1.44 ERA as well.
Similarly to Juan Soto, every team in baseball wants to add Yamamoto, and the Yankees are going to have to fend off suitors such as the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and crosstown rival New York Mets to get his services. As for Cody Bellinger, there’s some concern internally about his batted ball data, but he’s still an above-average defender with the versatility to play Gold Glove caliber defense in the outfield and hold the fort down at first base.
He’s clearly the most questionable name of this group, and Yankee fans aren’t the only ones divided on handing him a nine-figure deal. If the Yankees can put themselves in a position to go all-out this winter, they’ll enter 2024 not only younger, but also loaded with star-caliber talent that can anchor their roster, and in the case of Juan Soto, take the mantle as the star of New York when Aaron Judge gets older.
The Yankees desperately need to get better this winter, and following Ken Rosenthal’s segment on Foul Territory where he mentioned that Hal Steinbrenner knows he needs to spend, it’s looking like Hal will be aggressive this winter.