DALLAS — The New York Yankees never just rolled around and cried.
Less than 48 hours after losing the Juan Soto sweepstakes, New York began rolling out Plan B. Step one in the Great Bronx’s pivot is signing former Atlanta Braves southpaw Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. This contract is the fourth in history for a starting pitcher and the highest in MLB history for a left-handed pitcher.
Fried, who turns 31 in January, has the lowest ERA in baseball since the start of 2020. Less reliant on strikeouts than other first-line pitchers, the two-time All-Star also excels in two other invaluable skills. That leads to avoidance of hard contact and a cavalcade of groundouts. This means that in addition to its proven track record of pinpoint control, Freed has a uniquely high floor.
Drafted seventh overall by the San Diego Padres in 2012 out of a Los Angeles-area high school, Fried was traded to Atlanta in 2014 as part of Justin Upton’s return bid. Throughout his eight seasons with the Braves, the pitcher established himself as one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the sport. He finished his tenure in Atlanta with a stellar 3.07 ERA over 884 1/3 innings.
However, his track record in the playoffs has been a little shaky, especially recently. While his legendary gutsy performance in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series will forever be remembered in Braves country, Fried’s 4.90 ERA in 12 postseason games is a clear advantage. isn’t it. Whether those struggles are just a few sample theaters or a meaningful issue will surely be revealed in October’s pressure cooker, Yankee Stadium.
For the Yankees, the addition of a brave and proven left-hander would be a quick and important addition. Signing Fried won’t singlehandedly erase the crushing disappointment of losing Soto, but it’s a strong start. Trying to replace Soto’s value as a whole by reallocating those funds to a few players will always make the most sense.
But Fried’s addition to New York’s crowded rotation also means another move is inevitable. Before signing Fried, the Yankees had already employed six starting pitchers: Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Clark Schmidt, Nestor Cortez Jr., and Marcus Stroman. It’s almost certain that one of those six players will be wearing a different uniform and rocking facial hair in spring training.
Cole, the ace of the staff, isn’t going anywhere, and Rodon’s contract is too large to move. Gil and Schmidt are both young, inexpensive and under team control. That makes them valuable to the Yankees and any potential trade partners. Cortez and Stroman, who the Yankees almost cut out of their contracts at the most recent trade deadline, are less desirable. The duo brawled for most of 2024, spending September alternating between the rotation and the bullpen. Cutting bait on Cortez or Stroman would be more about creating space and eating dead money than adding a valuable player.
And the Yankees are in dire need of valuable players, especially on offense.
Fried’s addition further elevated New York’s floor, but Soto’s departure left a gaping hole in a lineup that already resembled a slice of Swiss cheese. Rather than wallowing in misery, the Yankees are starting to move forward, and the next step will be to work on their batting lineup.
Assuming Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Jasson Dominguez are in the Yankees’ Opening Day lineup in 2025, the Yankees will Three batters will likely be needed. Those will likely come at first base, third base and the outfield. Chisholm played admirably as the Yankees’ third man after being acquired from the Marlins in July, but the Yankees would be better served by moving Chisholm back to second, as he was an above-average defender.
When it comes to what to do with the outfield, the Yankees could see several paths to improvement. One of them could be a trade for Cubs center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Bellinger, 29, bounced back in his first two seasons in Chicago. And while he regressed offensively in 2024, some of his struggles can be attributed to playing through injury. His offensive profile is a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium and will be even more effective there. He could easily slide into center field, allowing Judge to move back to the right. Bellinger is owed $25 million in 2025 and has a $25 million player option in 2026, including a $5 million buyout. It also doesn’t hurt that his father, Clay, won a World Series in the Bronx.
Another option in the outfield could be signing free agent Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez, who has garnered most interest from the Dodgers and Red Sox, had the best season of his career this fall in Los Angeles en route to winning the World Series.
Another big name that would make sense for New York is Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. St. Louis is aggressive in acquiring the 10-time Gold Glove winner, but with a complete no-trade clause, Arenado will ultimately decide where he goes. But he believes the reigning American League champions fit Arenado’s desire to play for a contender. Arenado is owed $52 million over the next three seasons, and even if the Yankees burn through some of that money, they won’t have to part with a ton of potential money to fill the hole at No. 3.
Finally, first base was probably the Yankees’ biggest hole last season, and the addition of a power bat like Christian Walker would definitely fix that deficiency. Walker not only has big power, hitting 105 home runs since 2021, but he has the potential to be the best defensive first baseman in the sport, which could improve the Yankees’ porous defense. It will be. A cheaper option with similar characteristics would be Carlos Santana, who still has a strong left-handed bat and just won his first Gold Glove at age 38.
Overall, there is no replacement for Juan Soto — that goes without saying. However, it would have been a big mistake not to continue to grow after his departure. The Yankees currently have strength at the top of the rotation in Cole and Fried, as well as rotation depth that was previously lacking. If they can continue to address their needs as the winter progresses, there’s a clear path for the Yankees to be a better team in 2025, even without Soto.
