On October 30, the New York Yankees lost in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. It was a disappointing ending to the Yankees’ year, and the offseason might only bring more disappointments if Juan Soto departs in free agency.
Soto will be the Yankees’ top priority, but they’ll need to make other moves. One of them could be replacing Anthony Rizzo, as they have a club option for the former star.
David Schoenfield of ESPN hinted at them doing just that, predicting them to sign slugging first baseman Christian Walker.
“With all the money coming off the books, the Yankees do have money to spend. They are the betting favorites to re-sign Soto, so let’s put him back in the lineup,” Schoenfield wrote on October 30. “Jasson Dominguez takes over in the outfield for Verdugo (possibly taking over in center with Judge sliding to a corner). That still leaves enough money to make another big move or two.
“It’s hard to picture Bregman going to the Yankees, but Walker makes a lot of sense given his consistency over the past three seasons — .250/.332/.481 (and he has won a Gold Glove the past two seasons). Meanwhile, Cole opts in, and while Holmes had a rough year with 13 blown saves, he’s worth bringing back to provide some insurance in case Weaver backtracks after his surprising season.”
Rizzo Acknowledged Possibly Leaving the Yankees
With the New York Yankees’ current position, they could look to save on the margins. Rizzo has a $17 million club option with a $6 million buyout, so that’s $11 million they could look to save.
If they want to bring in Walker, who Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted would sign a three-year, $72 million deal, they wouldn’t save much.
However, he’s the better player at this stage in their careers, so the Yankees might be willing to spend for more production.
Rizzo also understood ahead of Game 4 of the World Series that he might not be a Yankee next season, highlighting that it’s a possibility he has to be ready for.
“I love playing here,” Rizzo said on October 29, according to Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News. “I love being a Yankee. I love what comes with it. I love the standard that has been set here from all the generations, the great Yankees in the past. Yeah, this could very well be. I’m a realist. I’m not naive to it. But I think all that will shape out when the time is right.”
How Walker Would Help the Yankees
Walker is among the most underrated players in Major League Baseball and could benefit from playing at Yankee Stadium.
The New York Yankees would love to have his production at first base, too, as the position has been an issue since Rizzo suffered a concussion in the middle of the 2023 campaign.
In 2024, Walker slashed .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs and an OPS+ of 121.
He’s hit at least 26 home runs in each of the last three seasons, finishing two of those with at least 33. There aren’t many better options for the Yankees to plug in the middle of their lineup.
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