Yankees proving to still be premier landing spot despite losing Soto

12/20/2024 05:58 PM

Baseball's brightest stars used to thank the good Lord for making them members of the New York Yankees. Is it still the case?

The matter was called into question after generational outfielder Juan Soto left the most storied franchise in baseball to join their crosstown rival. Ahead of his decision, there was a general sentiment floating throughout the baseball world that if the Yankees – the team he'd just gone with to the World Series – were willing to make an offer surpassing the $700 million threshold, it would be nearly impossible for opposing franchises to pry Soto from the Bronx.

And willing, they were.

The Yankees offered Soto a massive 16-year, $760 million contract

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner emptied his pockets and offered the 26-year-old phenom a whopping 16-year, $760 million contract. The final offer vastly exceeded the team's comfort level, but Steinbrenner was willing to make the gamble to preserve the likely-future Hall of Famer's spot in Monument Park.

However, when the four-time All-Star spurned their offer surpassing three quarters of a billion dollars and left them for the New York Mets, a horrifying reality set in: Soto didn't want to be a Yankee. 

The allure of the Yankees has been called into question

Soto wasn't captivated by the pinstripes. He wasn't enamored by the cathedral on 161st street. He wasn’t phased by 27 world championships. He wasn't interested in etching his name in the history books alongside all the Yankee greats that came before. 

Neither were Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

To some players, the Yankees just don't have quite the same allure they once did. Soto even went as far as to call New York City a "Mets town." All this begs the question: are the Yankees still the Yankees?

While many of the recent high-profile signings may argue the negative, there is still a collective appetite among players to don the pinstripes. In wake of Soto's departure, the Yankees have shifted their focus toward the players who relish the opportunity to play in the Bronx. And luckily for them, they've found some pretty good ones. 

New pitchers can't wait to take the mound at Yankee Stadium

Earlier this month and prior to Soto's decision, the Yankees had a 90-minute Zoom call with All-Star lefty Max Fried that went "very well," according to a report from the Michael Kay Show. Two weeks later, the 30-year-old signed his name on a record setting eight-year, $218 million contract to join the Bombers. 

One of the premier lefty hurlers in the game, Fried recorded a 3.25 ERA across 29 starts last season with the Atlanta Braves, tossing two complete games and a shutout. Donning the pinstripes for the first time in his introductory press conference this week, the former World Series champion expressed his overwhelming excitement when he got the call to play for the Yankees:

"When the Yankees say they're interested in you, you perk up and listen."

Sitting beside Fried at the press conference was Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who explained to reporters that Fried had options to play elsewhere but chose to be a Yankee:

"He wanted this opportunity, he wanted New York, he wanted to come here."

Shortly after signing Fried, the Yankees acquired All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for starter Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin. Williams, nicknamed the "Airbender," is a two-time Reliever of the Year who holds a 1.83 ERA while boasting 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings across 241 career relief appearances.

Williams spoke virtually with reporters this week, where he explained that although he was initially surprised when the Yankees swooped in at the last second, he's thrilled to play in pinstripes – even though he'll miss his beard. 

"There was a bit of shock, but it's a tremendous honor to be able to play for this organization," he said. "There's no bigger team in baseball, so I'm very happy to be here."

Cody Bellinger has longed to play in pinstripes

Turning their focus to offense, the Yankees acquired outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-hander Cody Poteet. The 29-year-old is a former Rookie of the Year and MVP whose father, Clay, also donned the pinstripes from 1999 to 2001.

While Clay was "very excited" to hear that his son was heading to the Bronx, perhaps no one was more delighted than Cody, himself. After confirming the trade, Cashman explained that he was aware of Bellinger's longing desire to play for the Yankees:

"I’ve been hearing it for a long time, including his agent Scott Boras saying, 'Can you get him over here? He’s driving me crazy. He wants to be a Yankee." 

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In his own words, Bellinger – who hit .266 with 18 home runs last season – told reporters about his eagerness to test his lefty swing at Yankee Stadium:

“Everything about it excites me. The organization, the fans, the stadium, the atmosphere. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about everything.”

It might not be by as overwhelming a majority as it used to be, but stars still want to play for the Yankees. Many players dread the day they must take off the uniform because the pinstripes still mean something – to prepare, compete, and win.