Yankees fans want Corbin Burnes if Juan Soto doesn't come back

Yesterday at 08:00 AM

Soto's return is a New York-sized question mark.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in New York Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Perhaps no team carries the same level of pressure this offseason as the Yankees, for the reasons we know all too well. Keeping that in mind, we have a list of questions to assess not only the Juan Soto situation but the alternatives the Yankees should have in case he does not return.

Realistically, there is not a lot that should prevent the Yankees, baseball's biggest team, from bringing Soto back, but it's unwise to ignore the significant possibility he signs elsewhere. Interestingly enough, the fan base seems split on the question of how to view this offseason if Soto leaves.

One might have reasonably expected to see a bigger number than only 51 percent, but it also shows an important level of awareness, as all cues point towards a difficult road in bringing Soto back.

Sure, the Yankees are baseball's biggest market, and they have all the incentive in the world to offer Soto an incredibly lucrative deal, but the Mets have just as much money and fewer long-term commitments on their payroll. There is a world in which the Yankees reach their max, the Mets come to the table with a bigger offer, and that's a wrap.

Going off that note, even though when Aaron Judge was a free agent the team might've been in more trouble if he left than they'll be now with Soto's potential departure, it's likely that the percentage of failure votes on a poll like this would've been higher for Judge. It's hard to ignore the fact that Soto's only had a single year to impact the organization unlike the multiple MVP-worthy campaigns that Judge has put up in pinstripes, though they reached heights they hadn't seen in over a decade with Soto here.

If Juan Soto leaves there isn't another elite-level hitter on the market, and the results of this poll highlight that. The fan base seems pretty split on which hitter it'd want with the best options remaining, all infielders. A top starter might not be as a big a need as replacing the hole Soto's potential departure will leave in the lineup, but the acquisition of Corbin Burnes would represent a major power play inside the AL East.

Even beyond the names on that list, there are plenty of interesting choices, hence why the "other" option received the third most votes. Blake Snell, Max Fried, and Roki Sasaki are all outstanding starters as well, and even Teoscar Hernández could be considered.

[below poll surveyed all MLB fans, not just Yankees fans]

Oftentimes with big free agents, the simplest choice is usually the correct one. It's very tough to imagine Soto leaving the city of New York for a variety of reasons. The poll backs that with over 70 percent of the voters picking either the Yankees or Mets. The Yankees carry a very small advantage, but the proximity between the two matches up with the general prediction that this will be a close race. Toronto was in on Shohei Ohtani and has the long-term flexibility to offer Soto a competitive offer, and as such the Blue Jays would be my most likely other possibility.