On Monday morning, the sun will rise — if Yankees fans can see it through their tears.
Juan Soto — after taking the Yankees to the World Series, flirting with MVP and AL single-season home-run record-holder Aaron Judge as a historic slugging partnership, and bathing in Bronx love and adoration — likely will play the next 15 years with the Mets.
And while that will be difficult for Yankees fans to handle for a while, former MLB star and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa offered them a handkerchief and some DeRosa-colored glasses.
The Yankees lost a great player, but not their best player, DeRosa said on Sunday night, minutes after it was announced that Soto had accepted a 15-year, $765 million deal from the Mets and uber-rich owner Steve Cohen.
“There are ways to pivot on this once you get over the initial shock of the fact that you’re losing Juan Soto,” DeRosa told viewers. “He’s the ultimate 26-year-old hitter. I get it that he’s going to be an icon and go into the Hall of Fame and do all those things.
“Bottom line is, and I do believe this in my heart, and this is no knock on one Soto, he is not Aaron Judge. He is not the best player on their team.
“So you pivot, you got Gerrit Cole back, you go out and bring in the likes of [free-agent first baseman] Christian Walker, [free-agent slugger] Pete Alonso, [free-agent outfielder] Teoscar Hernandez, [free-agent outfielder Anthony] Santander. You go out and sign [starting pitcher] Max Fried. You go get a [reliever] Tanner Scott. The Yankees can be better without Juan Soto. I believe in my heart. you can be better.”
With Soto gone, the Yankees’ now must aggressively address their holes — first base, where Walker or Alonso, could replace Anthony Rizzo; reliever, where Scott can replace Clay Holmes, who signed to become a starter with the Mets; right field, where Santander or Hernandez could take over for Soto.
“At least at this juncture, on Dec. 8, the Yankees have clarity, and when you have clarity, you can have a plan,” analyst and former pitcher Adam Wainwright said.
