The New York Yankees have been linked to many of the top free agents on the market this winter. Whether that’s due to agents trying to create leverage or the Yankees having a legitimate interest in nearly every big-name player, New York is expected to do what it takes to improve its roster this winter.
Much of the Yankees’ decisions will heavily weigh on what Juan Soto does. If they re-sign him to a $600-plus million deal, they might not do much more. Signing Soto doesn’t mean the Yankees wouldn’t have other issues to fill, however, with a few positions they’d still need to improve.
One could argue that Soto returning to the Yankees should make them spend more. What’s the point of giving him all that money if they don’t plan on upgrading the rest of the roster?
They have to replace Gleyber Torres unless he returns, and many don’t expect that to be the case. Among the potential options the Yankees have been linked to include Willy Adames, who Sports Grid predicted would sign an eight-year, $192 million deal on November 28. Adames could slide over to third, allowing the Yankees to play Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second.
Would Adames Only Be a Play if Soto Departs?
While replacing Torres is a priority for the New York Yankees, signing Adames might only be possible if Soto departs. In that case, re-signing Soto would certainly be the bigger priority. There isn’t a player on the market who would change that.
Given Adames’ expected price tag, it’s uncertain if the Yankees would sign him and Soto, but with the money the organization has, it shouldn’t be out of the question.
Despite that, David Schoenfield of ESPN made it seem like Adames is only a potential target if Soto leaves.
“How might the Yankees pivot if they don’t sign Soto? His departure would leave a gaping hole in the outfield, but they also have other big holes at first base and elsewhere in the infield with Gleyber Torres a free agent.
“Soto is irreplaceable on a one-for-one basis, so the Yankees would use the money meant for Soto to sign multiple players. Let’s start with Adames, who would shift from shortstop to third base, which would then give the Yankees the option to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to either center field (with Aaron Judge sliding back to right) or second base,” Schoenfield wrote on November 27.
Previous Shortstop Contracts Aren’t Ideal
The New York Yankees wouldn’t have much of a choice but to pursue Adames if Soto departs. However, some past contracts handed to shortstops have been less than ideal, as many of the players who earned long-term deals have struggled.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic urged teams to understand the risks of signing Adames, highlighting recent contracts.
“Monster contracts for position players generally are less risky than those for pitchers, and Adames is still in his prime at 29. But since February 2021, 11 shortstops have signed deals of $140 million or more. The results in the early stages of the deals, when the bang for the buck is supposed to be highest, have been decidedly mixed.
“Javier Báez (six years, $140 million) has been a bust. Trevor Story (six years, $140 million) has missed nearly two-thirds of his team’s games due to injuries; Carlos Correa (six years, $200 million) nearly one-third. Dansby Swanson (seven years, $177 million) has been elite defensively, but only average offensively,” Rosenthal wrote on November 18.
Adames is an elite player, but so were many of the players Rosenthal listed.
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