Yankees’ Surprise Plan to Replace Free-Agent Juan Soto Detailed

Getty Yankees free-agent OF Juan Soto

We’ve known since the Yankees first acquired slugger Juan Soto last winter that the team would have about a year with him before the focus flipped from what he does on the field to what it will take to keep him in the dugout long-term. Well, while it might be nice to have more time to mourn the end of the 2024 Yankees’ run to the World Series, where they lost to the Dodgers, the fact is, the year is up.

Soto is a free agent. And as he made clear in the wake of the Yankees’ Game 5 loss, he is not giving the Yankees any special treatment, and will be open to offers from all 30 MLB teams.

That’s an imposing thought. Soto is estimated to be in the market for a contract worth anywhere from $500-$700 million, surely setting a record for a pure position player. And with good reason. He hit .288 with a .415 on-base percentage and a .569 slugging mark this year, and was excellent in the playoffs, where he hit .327 with a scintillating 1.102 OPS, knocking four homers in 14 games.

Juan Soto Will Have Multiple Major Suitors

The notion of the Yankees losing Soto is very real. The Mets appear to be the biggest threat, but the Dodgers should never be counted out on a big-name free agent. The Nationals are a dark horse, and probably won’t be the only longshot to enter the sweepstakes.

It’s worth considering, then, what would happen if Soto did leave? Where would the Yankees turn?

At the MLB expert site MLB Trade Rumors, analyst Anthony Franco broke down the most likely path for New York, and it won’t be as simple as moving on to the next free-agent outfielder on the list, guys like Teoscar Hernandez or Anthony Santander.

That would be the obvious answer. But surprisingly, it’s more likely to involve prospect Spencer Jones.

“Making a three- or four-year commitment to someone of that ilk would block the path to playing time for 2022 first-round pick Spencer Jones. The Yankees have reportedly rebuffed trade interest in Jones when discussing players like Dylan Cease and Garrett Crochet. He’s arguably the organization’s #2 prospect behind Domínguez,” Franco wrote.

Franco points out, though, that Jones has struggled with strikeouts, even as he has shown power and athleticism at 6-foot-7. He batted .259 in Double-A Somerset, with 17 homers but struck out a whopping 200 times in 482 at-bats.

“Jones is one of the sport’s most volatile prospects. He figures to start next season in Triple-A but could reach the big leagues at some point in 2025,” Franco noted.

Yankees Could Spend Money Elsewhere

With that in mind, the Yankees should not overspend for a Soto replacement, Franco argues. Rather, they should save that money and put it toward a big-time pitcher or infielder.

“It’s one thing to impede Jones’ path to keep Soto,” Franco writes. “Doing that for a very good but much lesser hitter like Santander or Hernández is a tougher sell. If they lose Soto, the Yankees could look for a stopgap right fielder like Michael Conforto or Max Kepler while keeping the long-term job for Jones.

“That’d leave money for a major free agent splash elsewhere.”