The New York Yankees may be moving on from Juan Soto, but they’ve still yet to replace the most important ingredient he brought to the table.
Sure, the 41 home runs were nice, and that’s not counting the extra-innings blast that sent the Yankees to the World Series. But Soto’s superpower is his plate discipline, and having a hitter who drew 129 walks batting in front of the home run leader in Aaron Judge was a cheat code.
Of course, Judge led all of baseball with 133 walks, and if he bats with the bases empty more often this season, he’ll only draw more free passes. The Yankees should continue combing free agency and the trade market to help put ducks on the pond in front of their superstar.
New York also needs a first baseman, and the San Francisco Giants may have one to spare.
On Thursday, Dylan Backer of Empire Sports Media named Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. as an ideal candidate for the Yankees this winter. Backer also cited a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan that Wade was “available” to be had in trades.
“Last season was a down year for him, as he hit just eight home runs and batted only .260, but he did post a 119 wRC+,” Backer said. “Wade can be thrown at the top of the lineup and be a solid leadoff hitter for the Yankees, which is another area that needs to be addressed for them.”
“The Yankees still have some work to do if they want to make up for the loss of Juan Soto. Wade wouldn’t fix that problem on his own, but he could be a solid depth addition that gives them more positional flexibility.”
Backer actually left out the number-one reason Wade is a fantastic fit for the Yankees: he’s an on-base machine. Beginning in 2023, he started racking up walks like it was going out of style, drawing 138 free passes in 252 games and posting a .373 on-base percentage.
Those walks can be more or less valuable depending on who they happen in front of, and if Wade can walk in front of Aaron Judge, he’ll help replace the two-run Judge home runs the Yankees stand to lose with Soto leaving for Queens.
Wade is a free agent after the 2025 season, and is projected for a five-year, $36 million extension by Spotrac. It’s unlikely the Yankees would lock him up right away, but if he proved to be as useful as that OBP suggests he could be, he’d still be affordable for the value he brings.
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