The New York Yankees are one game shy of the All Star Break. And it could not come any sooner. The last 10-days have been a rollercoaster for this team. Between the Reds and the Red Sox, the Yankees have come down to earth, with a few scrapes and bruises. They are certainly a team that needs a reset—a control, alt, delete style reboot. And when they log back on, they could have a shiny new outfielder with them.
"The Nationals are looking to trade Juan Soto after he turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from the team. The Yankees have been looking for an outfielder, and of course this would be quite an upgrade over Andrew Benintendi, Trey Mancini and others," reported The New York Post on Saturday.
What is also interesting and certainly not something I was considering until Jon Heyman mentioned it in his column, is that Soto could be considered a replacement for Aaron Judge who also rejected his team's offer at the beginning of this season. "Both New York teams could also afford to go the limit in extension talks. And in the Yankees’ case, Soto would also represent dream insurance should the long-running Aaron Judge talks not pan out. Soto is seven years younger than the great Judge, and as a bonus, left-handed."
The Yankees have seen Giancarlo Stanton become a fantastic addition to the outfield this year. His defense has given the team more options at designated hitter, opening up opportunities to rotate the talent in the field and off the bench. Joey Gallo has failed to meet expectations at the plate, despite providing a strong defensive option and Aaron Hicks is hit or miss, more miss than hit. Soto would be a terrific addition, but I can't help but want to take a hard pass. The Bombers have Matt Carpenter, a later add this season, who has been performing well. And I want to keep the money for Judge, who more than deserves the raise.
"An early favorite for Soto just might be the San Diego Padres, the former “small” market team that’s been full of surprises and thrills the past few years under GM A.J. Preller, a young man who knows the game and loves a gamble," reported The Post. Recall that the Yankees courted Manny Machado and lost to the Padres for $300 million. The New York Mets could also be a player as they seek additional bats to compliment their lineup and compete for the division championship in the second half of the season.
Could the Yankees pick up Soto? Yes. Do they need a guy like Soto? I mean, sure- he's 25, he's a lefty bat and he is a great defender. More importantly, however the Yankees need to reset, have a come to Jesus and figure out how they are going to outperform their competition, even those little teams that seem to get at their goat and beat them. Juan Soto's decision to move should not tempt the Yankees; instead, they need to focus on their strengths, use their farm system relevantly and DFA players who simply don't add any value to them.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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