While the New York Yankees have been linked to slugger Pete Alonso recently as a potential Anthony Rizzo replacement, a notable insider revealed two new and more affordable options this weekend.
The Yankees are still licking their wounds after a disastrous finish to their 2024 season. After earning the best record in the American League and storming to the 2024 World Series, they hit a wall in the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Related: When does MLB free agency begin? Everything you need to know about the offseason
The team quickly fell into a 3-0 hole in the series, and when it looked like they might send things to Game 6, they had a nightmare inning in Game 5 that blew a big lead and led to the Dodgers celebrating a new championship on the Yankees field.
Now, the team must pivot to what will be a very important offseason. This week, the front office made their first notable decision when they declined the option of first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s contract for next season. Filling his spot will be a priority this winter and over the weekend New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed two likely affordable targets they’ll have in free agency.
New York Yankees linked to Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt in MLB free agency
“Yanks have 1B open now and could play for Pete Alonso,” Heyman wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s believed to be a prime backup plan to Plan A Juan Soto. Could also go for Chrisitan Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, etc.”
Arizona Diamondbacks veteran Christian Walker has quietly been one of the better first basemen in the NL the last few seasons. He hit a high point in 2023 when his 33 home runs, 103 RBIs, and .258 batting average helped the D-Backs reach the World Series.
Goldschmidt is a future Hall-of-Famer, and the six-time All-Star earned NL MVP honors two seasons ago. However, over the last two years, the 37-year-old has shown clear signs that age has quickly caught up with him. However, he would be a much more affordable — although flawed — option in free agency this winter.
Related: 10 MLB free agency predictions, projecting landing spots for best MLB free agents including Juan Soto
