MLB Insider Says New York Yankees' Pivot After Losing Juan Soto 'Impressive'

Despite losing Juan Soto in free agency, the New York Yankees had a strong offseason entering spring training.

Feb 20, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) throws the ball during work outs at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees suffered one of the biggest losses in baseball this offseason when right fielder Juan Soto decided to move on in free agency.

He agreed to the largest contract in sports history, agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets.

It certainly hurt watching him walk away, as replacing someone of his caliber is a tall task. However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) thought the team handled things well in the aftermath.

“The Yankees might have lost the Juan Soto sweepstakes to the Mets, but their pivot was truly impressive. Their remade roster looks like a better overall team than the one that won the American League pennant last year,” he wrote as part of the reasoning they landed at No. 2 in his spring training power rankings, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The money they were planning to use on Soto was spread out among other areas on the roster, fortifying the team for what they hope is another deep playoff run.

An already strong starting rotation of Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman was bolstered by the addition of Max Fried.

The former Atlanta Braves All-Star signed an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees, the largest for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history.

With him in the mix, the team was comfortable shipping Cortes to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the trade package to bring back All-Star closer Devin Williams to handle late-game duties.

One of the biggest reasons that New York failed to defeat the Dodgers in the World Series in October was a calamity of errors in the field.

Part of their offseason strategy was to shore things up defensively, which they did with several additions and projected alignment adjustments.

Aaron Judge is no longer playing center field, as he will be replaced by former MVP Cody Bellinger. The 2024 American League MVP will move back to right field, where he is a Gold Glove performer and a massive upgrade over Soto.

At second base, Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be taking over for Gleyber Torres, who signed a free-agent deal with the Detroit Tigers. He is back to a more natural position after stepping up and manning third base upon being acquired from the Miami Marlins.

The hot corner will now be manned by DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera or Oswald Peraza. That leaves something to be desired but should present a defensive upgrade at the very least.

At first base, the team signed another former MVP, Paul Goldschmidt, to take over for Anthony Rizzo.

Goldschmidt had a strong second half of the 2024 campaign and should be an upgrade in every facet on Rizzo, who saw his production plummet the last two years as he dealt with injuries.

This is a deep and talented roster, amongst the best in the game. But, they must remain healthy throughout the year as they reportedly don’t have any money left to spend.

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