Yankees Appear to Have Juan Soto Replacement Already in Mind

The New York Yankees are now pivoting to their free agency backup plans, and one outfielder could already be top of mind.
Oct 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning during game two of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Oct 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning during game two of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have lost the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

News was broken on the night of December 8 that Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract to join the New York Mets. It's the largest deal in sports history, none of that money will be deferred, and incentives make it so Soto could end up earning over $800 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Yankees offered him $760 million for 16 years.

But let's not talk about Soto anymore. Instead, let's discuss where the Yankees go from here, as they now have an opportunity to acquire multiple top-tier free agents (plus potentially make trades) to offset what losing that guy we're not talking about anymore brought to the lineup last season.

And in a December 7 X post, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo conveyed a viable replacement option that the Yankees are now free to pursue.

"Red Sox remain in on Teoscar Hernandez but face stiff competition from Dodgers and Yankees, per source. That market is expected to heat up once Soto signs, not pre-empt it like Adames and O’Neill did," he wrote.

On paper, Teoscar Hernández seems like a solid replacement for that other guy we're not talking about. While the 32-year-old played left field for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is a right-handed hitter, he does have good power to the opposite field and has proved that he can perform in the postseason.

Hernández hit .272 with a .840 OPS, 33 home runs, and 99 RBIs for Los Angeles in 2024. Against the Yankees in the World Series, he hit .350 with a .931 OPS, 1 home run, and 4 RBIs.

Regardless of whether the Yankees decide to pursue Hernández, fans can expect them to add some serious firepower in the near future.


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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.