Yankees Should Sign Two Sluggers for $242M if Juan Soto Bolts, Insider Says - Newsweek

The most important part of the New York Yankees' offseason involves outfielder Juan Soto. If the left-handed slugger bolts via free agency, what should general manager Brian Cashman do to build his 2025 roster?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post shared his thoughts on Monday regarding how the Yankees could proceed. If Soto signs elsewhere, he proposes going after two other free-agent sluggers: first baseman Christian Walker and third baseman Alex Bregman.

"And yet, in a Soto-free world, I think the Yankees should go for Bregman at third and the Diamondbacks' Christian Walker at first and have two legit Gold Glovers on the corners, with (Jazz) Chisholm back at second and Anthony Volpe at short," he said. "It is suddenly a very good infield defensively — and probably offensively too if you believe Volpe is going to improve."

As Sherman notes, this would transform the infield because of their defensive reputations. Walker is a three-time Gold Glove winner at first base, while Bregman won the honor for the first time in 2024.

Both are also solid hitters who would lengthen manager Aaron Boone's lineup. Walker has averaged 32 home runs with 94 RBI, 81 runs scored and a .813 OPS since 2022. Bregman has averaged 25 homers with 89 RBI, 92 runs scored and a .798 OPS during the same time.

Neither is of the same caliber as Soto, but they'd fill significant needs for the Yankees at a fraction of the price. MLB Trade Rumors is predicting a 13-year, $600 million deal for Soto. They're also predicting Bregman (seven years, $182 million) and Walker (three years, $60 million) will cost a combined $242 million.

That would allow Cashman to solidify the infield and have plenty of money left over to continue upgrading the roster. Retaining Soto is the goal and the organization will likely be disappointed if it doesn't happen. But the Yankees will still have plenty of opportunities to put together a winning roster for next season.

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