The New York Yankees will look a lot different in 2025. Instead of Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo opposite Aaron Judge in the outfield, it will now be Cody Bellinger and Jasson Dominguez. Instead of Anthony Rizzo at first base, it will now be Paul Goldschmidt.
Additionally, the Yankees have a new closer in Devin Williams and a new No. 2 starting pitcher in Max Fried. They are likely not done as well, as they still have a hole at second base after Gleyber Torres entered free agency.
The Yankees pivoted to Plan B after losing Juan Soto
Their biggest offseason goal coming in was to bring back Soto, the guy who they acquired in a trade the previous offseason and led them on a World Series run behind an MVP-level campaign. Unfortunately, the Yankees lost the World Series, and Soto left for the New York Mets in his well-documented free agency.
Plan B was always in the back of their minds, as losing Soto was always a possibility. They have used the funds that would’ve gone to Soto to address other positional needs, and they have done so with some of the best available upgrades.
The Yankees will have a new look to their team in 2025
Verdugo gave them very little offensive production last season, so they added Bellinger, a player who is flashy with the glove while also showing to be an elite power threat. He won the National League MVP in 2019 with a .305 average, 47 home runs, and 115 RBIs.
The Yankees’ first base situation was disastrous last season. Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jon Berti, and rookie Ben Rice all received playing time at the position. They never once had a steady force at the hot corner that was being productive on a consistent basis.
To address that, Goldschmidt became their answer at first base. The 37-year-old and 2022 NL MVP is approaching the back end of his career, but he showed in the second half of last season with the St. Louis Cardinals that he still can be a highly productive bat in the heart of any lineup.
Though he is past his MVP form, if he plays at even half of that level of play, it will be significantly better than what they had at first base last season.
Could the Yankees be a deeper team than last year?
With the offensive changes that have come, the Yankees are about one or two more moves away from arguably being a deeper lineup than the one they had with Soto last season. Rumors have swirled about third baseman Nolan Arenado joining the team via trade, and they have also expressed great interest in free agent Alex Bregman.
- Yankees have acquired 6 projected starters post-Juan Soto departure
- Yankees eyeing All-Star upside from injury-prone relief arm
- Yankees could clear almost $20 million to spend with one trade
Nevertheless, the Yankees have undergone a slew of changes this winter, and whether or not they are enough to get them back to the Fall Classic next year remains to be seen. So far, however, they have objectively made upgrades at a handful of key positions.