Baltimore Orioles Could Benefit From Interesting New York Yankees Offseason Situation

The New York Yankees have some tough decisions to make this winter, which could give the Baltimore Orioles a favorable outcome.

Oct 15, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game two of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles biggest rival, have just as big of a free agency coming up as any team in Major League Baseball.

With Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole set to potentially be free agents, there's a chance the Yankees won't have two of their top three players on the roster returning in 2025. 

There are many reasons why that would benefit the Orioles, as they're their biggest threat in the American League East. 

The situation with Cole is slightly different, as Soto will hit free agency no matter what. Regarding the right-hander, he could opt out of his $144 million deal from 2025 to 2028 and become a free agent if New York doesn't add a 10th year to his contract at $36 million. 

From his perspective, it's an easy decision to opt out of his deal and guarantee himself long-term money in the later stages of his career. 

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report predicted him to do just that.

"It will be an interesting game of cat and mouse this offseason between Cole—a Boras client—and the Yankees. He is now 34 and has logged more than 1,950 innings in his career. But the Yankees probably need him more than he needs them, and the bet is that if he forces their hands, they'll ultimately guarantee him $36 million in 2028, his age-37 season. If the Yankees allow Cole to opt out and decline to pick up his 2028 option, they could be left empty-handed if he leaves in free agency because he won't be eligible for the qualifying offer after previously receiving one from the Houston Astros after the 2019 season."

It'll be an interesting decision from the Yankees perspective, as there's reason to believe they could potentially let him walk.

If they want to sign Soto to a lucrative deal, they need as much money as possible.

However, the issue would be that if they signed him to a long-term contract, they still need to compete in other areas. Signing one player to a massive extension and not having their ace back wouldn't help them moving forward.

There's a situation here where Baltimore gets a perfect outcome and they lose both players. For a team that could use their biggest rival regressing, it's something to watch for Orioles fans.

Nonetheless, the same could be said for Baltimore's free agency, as there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the club.