When Juan Soto left the Bronx, it felt like the sky had cracked open.
The Yankees weren’t just losing a superstar — they were losing their heartbeat.
But sometimes the best moves are the ones you make after heartbreak. And in this case, the Yankees didn’t mope — they pivoted, fast.
The Soto-sized hole was enormous — but the Yankees filled it creatively
The front office knew there was no replicating Soto’s bat, plate discipline, or fear factor in one fell swoop.
So they split the difference.
They inked ace Max Fried to a $214 million deal, giving them an elite rotation piece to stabilize things if Cole went down…and he did.
Then came Devin Williams in a trade with Milwaukee — an elite closer to anchor the bullpen from day one (that’s still a work in progress).
Add Paul Goldschmidt’s veteran presence at first and Cody Bellinger’s defensive wizardry in the outfield, and suddenly the Yankees had balance.
Not flash. Not star power. Balance. Something they lacked last year, even with Soto in the lineup.
Bellinger’s early returns are surprisingly strong
Soto’s off to a slow start with the Mets, hitting .228 with a .755 OPS through May despite elite underlying metrics.
He’s still drawing walks and barreling balls, so a rebound feels inevitable. But results matter in New York.
And right now, Cody Bellinger is producing more for less — hitting .262 with eight homers and a .794 OPS of his own.
He’s also flashing elite defense again, with four outs above average in the outfield — something Soto hasn’t come close to replicating.
The Mets star has posted -5 outs above average, a sharp contrast that’s widening the value gap early in the season.
The money matters — and that’s where the Yankees win
The Yankees didn’t pay Bellinger anywhere close to Soto’s price tag. He’s owed $26.25 million this season, and the Cubs kicked in a few million. They got more production and more defensive value for far less.
That kind of efficiency matters when your payroll is already sky-high and you’re chasing a title — not just headlines.
Soto’s $765 million deal may pay off long term, but Bellinger’s impact in 2025 is already tilting the scales in the Bronx.
Why the Yankees look smarter now than they did in December
This isn’t a long-term referendum on Soto, who will likely turn things around and remain a generational talent.
But in a city obsessed with immediate returns, the Yankees are winning the short game — and that matters right now.
They didn’t fold when Soto left. They got faster, sharper, and more versatile — and they look far better built for October.
With Max Fried dominating on the mound and a deeper lineup from top to bottom, this roster may be better than last year’s.
Even without Soto, they’re outpacing expectations — and quietly making the Mets look like they made a bad decision… but make no mistake, they didn’t.
READ MORE:
Yankees just dropped critical offensive player to the bottom of the lineup