Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Strategy Made Clear by 'Offseason Shopping List'

The New York Yankees have a clear list of offseason priorities they must address.

Grant Young

Feb 28, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; A detail view of New York Yankees baseball hat at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Feb 28, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; A detail view of New York Yankees baseball hat at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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It's no secret that priority number one for the New York Yankees this offseason is re-signing superstar slugger Juan Soto to a long-term (and lucrative) deal.

But that isn't the Yankees' only offseason need. The fact that there are six other players from the Yankees' 2024 roster aside from Soto who are also entering free agency (not to mention the weaknesses their roster already had) means New York's front office can't focus solely on Soto.

And Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller alluded to this in a November 8 article that discussed each MLB team's "offseason shopping list".

"Offseason Shopping List

Juan Soto
Relief Pitching
First/Second Baseman," Miller wrote for the Yankees.

"The Gerrit Cole question has already been answered. Though the Yankees ace initially opted out of the four years left on his deal, he'll be back with the pinstripes for the foreseeable future," he added.

"Now for the bigger concern: Getting Juan Soto to stay.

"After an incredible regular season, 'Childish Bambino' was even better in the postseason, reaching base in 30 of his 64 plate appearances with a 1.102 OPS. He was everything the Yankees hoped he would be in front of Aaron Judge in the lineup, and failing to re-sign him after that seven-month run would feel like a failure of the highest order," Miller continued.

"But with an estimated payroll already at around $240 million, how much else can they afford to do this winter if they do retain Soto?

"Because while keeping that star outfielder is the primary mission right now, it doesn't address the fact that they need to replace their everyday second baseman, their hole at first base and three of their best relievers," he concluded.

There's no doubt this offseason will be pivotal for the Yankees' future success. GM Brian Cashman might need to get creative with his roster construction if he secures Soto — which is a price all Yankees fans will likely be willing to pay.

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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.

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