The New York Yankees missed on keeping Juan Soto in the Bronx. However, their offseason approach could point toward plans to sign the prize of next year’s free agency.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set to be a free agent after this season and could want to leave the Toronto Blue Jays. In the past, he had said he would not play for the Yankees, but that sentiment seemed to change at the trade deadline last season when there were rumors about the Yankees being interested in him.
The Yankees tried to sign Christian Walker, but he did not seem like a long-term fix to their first base problem. ESPN’s Jeff Passan had noted that Walker was looking for a fourth year in his deal, but teams had neglected to go higher than three. Among those teams was the Yankees. They have also been seemingly out of the sweepstakes to land Pete Alonso.
At the moment, not signing an elite first baseman with the money saved from losing Soto seems foolish. However, preparing to make a big move for Guerrero would be the smarter choice. He is projected to earn a 12-year, $427 million deal in free agency. However, he could potentially hit the $600 million mark.
He is a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and a Gold Glover. He led Major League Baseball in home runs in 2021. He had a .940 OPS last season. Bringing him to the Bronx with Aaron Judge could give the Yankees a duo that rivals the one they had last season with Judge and Soto.
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