After losing Juan Soto, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has kicked up a whirlwind of blockbuster proportions. It started when he signed a bona fide ace in Max Fried to anchor the rotation behind Gerrit Cole. Since then, Cashman has added All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers and former MVP Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs all over the course of one week. Having strengthened the rotation, the lineup, and the bullpen, Cashman has shown his fanbase he is on a mission to prove that no Soto is no problem. Thus far, he is doing a pretty good job of it. However, it isn’t over yet. Cashman had this to say on the subject:
“We’ve done some heavy lifting with Max, with Devin Williams, with Bellinger,” Cashman said giving his insights about the offseason. “But there’s more lifting to do.”
Even with Soto gone, the evil empire seems to be making a huge comeback. No one knows for sure which valuable target will land in pinstripes next, but these three free agent studs have been in contact with the Yankees and stand a decent chance of gracing the Bronx next season.
3. Roki Sasaki
Japanese ace Roki Sasaki was recently posted by the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines. Given that his potential is enormous combined with the fact that he is considered an international amateur which means he is only eligible to receive a fraction of what an MLB contract is worth, he should be a target for every team. The Yankees are supposedly first in line and are slated to meet with him in the near future.
Since money is no winning object in contract negotiations, Sasaki will be looking at things like, “stability, lifestyle, comfort, and a team’s track record with player development,” according to reports from Will Sammon of The Athletic. Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, also mentioned the weather.
New York gets pretty cold; that is one disadvantage. But the other priorities seem well matched for the Big Apple. If the Yankees can land him, their pitching staff may be indomitable.
Sasaki owns a 2.02 career ERA in Japan with 524 strikeouts in just 414.2 innings. The 23-year-old phenom throws an electrifying heater that tops 100 mph paired with a crafty splitter he uses to a devastating effect.
2. Alex Bregman
Baseball is full of surprises. This offseason, we are treated to the Yankees’ pursuit of Alex Bregman, whose visits to the Bronx have been met with raucous booing and trash can banging. But can Yankees’ fans really go from booing a prominent member of the Astros’ cheating scandal to chanting his name while he stands at third? We just might find out.
In 2024, Bregman posted his worst year at the plate slashing .260/.315/.453/.768 with 26 home runs. This is a far cry from a near MVP 2021 season where he hit a whopping 41 homers to a .296 average. While he posted his worst offensive numbers, his glove has never been better. Bregman won his only Gold Glove at the hot corner last season. The one-time Silver Slugger has found himself in the MVP conversation four times, though twice at a significant distance. And while he’s never been a Statcast darling (meaning his exit velocities and barrels percentages aren’t staggering), most of his sabermetrics are close to the same though he has started to chase pitches more often. However, his strikeout and whiff rates have been impressive making him a solid addition to a strikeout heavy team like the Yankees.
At minimal, Bregman would add much-needed depth to the Yankee batting order. If he can recover his old form, he can be a game-changer for the Yanks, but that’s not something we can count on.
1. Pete Alonso
That brings us to a legendary crosstown rival. After showing no interest in “the Polar Bear,” the Yankees have suddenly come around. Like Bregman, Alonso also posted his worst season at the plate. But don’t let the stat line fool you. His hard-hit rate and bat speed are still in an elite category.
Last season, Alonso posted a slash line of .240/.329/.459/.788 with 34 home runs, still impressive even if for his worst showing. Excluding his 16 home runs in the shortened 2020 season, he has never posted a home run total lower than the 34 he hit last season. He has posted 40+ home run seasons three times in six years, his 2020 campaign where his 16 home runs were equivalent to over 40 not included. “The Polar Bear” set the rookie home run record in 2019 hitting 53 and winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Alonso would make a solid middle-of-the-order-type bat for any lineup. And in the postseason, Alonso is peerless. He has totaled five home runs with an on-base percentage of .429 in 54 at-bats across four series matchups. Having Alonso in the postseason is a definite advantage. “The Polar Bear” just turned 30 and has shown he has plenty left in the tank.
