“He’s not worth $765 million!” “He’s a terrible teammate!” “He’s fat!”
There’s been no shortage of discourse surrounding the departure of superstar outfielder Juan Soto from the New York Yankees. While many efforts to justify the 26-year-old’s going away have reflected objective criticisms, a slew of social posts have more closely resembled the hollow attacks of a bitter ex.
Yankees fans fell hard for Juan Soto
Yankee fans fell hard for Soto from the moment he first donned the pinstripes, and any complaints would’ve been thrown out the window had he chosen to stay in the Bronx. The unfortunate reality, however, is that the Yankees got dumped by one of the greatest offensive weapons in baseball history. Worse, the four-time All-Star replaced them with their “little brother,” the New York Mets.
No matter how it’s spun, the loss of Soto is heartbreaking and his presence in the lineup will be sorely missed – and that’s okay.
The Yankees will be forced to turn the page on their most successful season since 2009, doing so without the slugger whose monumental swing punched their ticket to the World Series for the first time in 15 years. Without Soto bolstering their lineup, the Yankees will be fundamentally unrecognizable next season.
Although it’s going to sting, maybe it’s for the best. The silver lining of a breakup, after all, is the opportunity for personal growth. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan put it: “It’s kind of amazing that the Yankees lost out on Juan Soto and might be better off at the end of the day.”
The Yankees need more than just Soto
By acquiring Soto last season, New York formed one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in baseball history. The tandem of Soto and captain Aaron Judge combined for 99 home runs – 41 and 58 respectively – to become the first pair of Yankee teammates to each hit 40+ homers since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961. While Judge took home his second MVP award, Soto finished third in the vote.
After Judge and Soto, though, the lineup suffered a steep decline. And unfortunately, today’s game requires more than just a couple of Bombers. The 2024 Yankees were plagued by a handful of below-average hitters in terms of OPS, from Alex Verdugo (.647) to Trent Grisham (.675) to Anthony Volpe (.657).
Particularly jarring was the team’s offensive production at first base, a position typically reserved for power hitters. Splitting time between Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu, and Ben Rice, Yankee first basemen posted a dreadful .335 slugging percentage this season, ranking dead-last in the major leagues.
Not only were other teams aware of New York’s top-heavy lineup – they laughed about it. Playing with the Mets, former Yankee pitcher Luis Severino joked to his former teammates that he wasn’t afraid to play them ahead of their July contest because they “only have two good hitters.”
On top of the holes in their batting order, the Yankees struggled with defense and, at times, basic fundamentals. Their season-long weaknesses peaked in the World Series, where defensive errors, base-running blunders, and overall lapses in judgment came back to haunt them against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yet again, New York was ruthlessly mocked by their opponent. Multiple Dodgers laughed about the Yankees’ shortcomings, including pitcher Joe Kelly, who referred to the squad as the “eighth or ninth-best playoff team.”
The Yankees have a chance to become a better all-around team
Even with Soto in pinstripes, the Yankees suffered from too many flaws that thwarted their efforts for a 28th world championship. Heading into next season, they have the opportunity to improve in multiple key areas and command the respect of the entire league.
It should go without saying that nobody compares to Soto in terms of offensive production. On top of hitting over 40 home runs, the lefty slugger recorded 109 RBIs while slashing .288/.419/.569.
At a $765 million price tag, though, the Yankees will benefit from spending the money elsewhere. Instead of putting all their chips in one basket, they can split the cash between multiple players to construct a more balanced roster. On top of bringing in another outfielder, they can round out the middle infield and solve the issue at first base.
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Soto’s absence also allows the team more defensive flexibility. Playing in front of the Bleacher Creatures, Soto posted negative ratings in multiple advanced defensive metrics, including outs above average (-5), defensive runs saved (-1), and FanGraphs defensive metric (-6.0).
The Yankees have already begun making moves on the defensive end. They signed former Braves starter Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract to bolster their rotation, and later acquired All-Star Brewers closer Devin Williams via trade in exchange for pitcher Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin.
Now, it’s time for the Yankees to bring in some bats. The Bombers may have missed out on star outfielder Kyle Tucker – who was dealt from the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs – but they remain determined to strengthen their lineup ahead of Opening Day.
In the wake of the Soto loss, Yankee general manager Brian Cashman stressed that there will be “No retreat, no surrender” from the Yankees in 2025. And after acquiring Williams from Milwaukee, he reiterated to reporters that “the job isn’t finished here. Now is the time to strike.”
