When Juan Soto inked his massive contract with the Mets, it felt like a gut punch to Yankees fans. Losing a generational talent in free agency, especially to a crosstown rival, is never easy to digest. But when you take a step back and evaluate the Yankees’ offseason strategy, there’s an argument to be made that they might have played this the right way.
Rather than committing to a deal that will pay Soto well into his late 30s, the Yankees took a different approach—one that might offer more flexibility and sustainability. They landed Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million contract, acquired Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, and brought in Paul Goldschmidt as a short-term upgrade at first base.