Heavy on Yankees

The Mets plucked Juan Soto away from the Yankees.

The New York Yankees face a dilemma in building the club’s roster now that Juan Soto bolted for the team’s crosstown rival New York Mets. The Yankees will now scramble and attempt to use some of the money destined for Soto on alternative options.

With Soto joining the Mets, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner floated seven potential replacement options, but not all of the candidates are sluggers. Kirschner believes the Yankees could double down on the team’s pitching strength in Soto’s absence. One name to watch is Baltimore Orioles four-time All-Star starting pitcher Corbin Burnes.

“Now that the Yankees’ offense has taken a significant hit, their focus should shift to solidifying their starting rotation as the best in baseball,” Kirschner wrote in a December 8, 2024, article titled, “7 free agents the Yankees can consider after losing Juan Soto to the Mets.” “Signing Corbin Burnes would give the Yankees, on paper, the most dominant 1-2 punch in the American League.

“Pairing Burnes with Gerrit Cole would create a formidable duo capable of neutralizing even the most potent offenses in the game. A rotation featuring Cole, Burnes, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and either Rookie of the Year Luis Gil or Nestor Cortes would be downright nasty.”

Potential Yankees Target Corbin Burnes Is Projected to Land a 7-Year, $217 Million Contract

Burnes’ resume means the Orioles star is heading for a sizable payday, but the pitcher’s contract projections vary. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projects Burnes to land a seven-year, $217 million deal.

Spotrac projected Burnes’ market value to be a six-year, $180.8 million contract. If the Yankees do land Burnes, it could open up opportunities for the front office to trade some of the team’s existing pitchers. Former Rookie of the Year Luis Gil would become a potential trade candidate if the Yankees land Burnes, per Kirschner.

“Acquiring Burnes, whom the club has met with via video conference call, could also open the door for the Yankees to trade either Gil or Cortes, potentially addressing lingering needs in the infield or outfield,” Kirschner added. “Trading Gil at the peak of his value could yield a significant return for the team.”

Burnes’ resume includes being a four-time All-Star, winning the ERA Title and notching a Cy Young award. The pitcher has won 10 or more games in four straight seasons.

Juan Soto Turned Down the Yankees’ 16-Year, $760 Million Contract Offer to Join the Mets: Report

According to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Brendan Kuty and Ken Rosenthal, Soto turned down the Yankees despite the club increasing their offer to 16-year, $760 million. In the end, the deep pockets of Mets owner Steve Cohen won out.

“By late Sunday afternoon, a league source said that negotiations with the Mets had resumed, setting up the crosstown rivals for one final showdown over one of the best players of his generation,” Mooney, Sammon, Kuty and Rosenthal. “By Sunday evening, Cohen had increased his offer. Around that time, the Yankees were informed they were behind, another league source said. Boras asked for a round of new offers.

“The Yankees went from $712.5 million – $47.5 million over 15 seasons – to a 16-year, $760 million proposal. And it still wasn’t enough.”

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams