The New York Yankees went to the wire in the bidding war for Juan Soto only to lose the All-Star outfielder to the New York Mets. With the perennial MVP candidate off the board, New York might have a new cost-effective target who can provide just as much power production as Soto.
Since Soto’s signing with the Mets, a variety of Yankees rumors have emerged regarded potential options to fill the void in the corner outfield. A Cody Bellinger trade is being pursued and the club has an interest in free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, but both moves would be very costly.
- New York Yankees payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $245 million, 4th in MLB
New York could pursue a cheaper option, such as left-handed hitter Joc Pederson, but he would put limitations on the Yankees lineup construction because he’s primarily a designated hitter. So, amid slow trade talks with the Chicago Cubs, the Yankees front office has turned its focus to another top option in MLB free agency.
According to Newsday’s Erik Boland, the Yankees have interest in signing former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander. Not only is New York interested in adding him, but Santander is reportedly “intrigued by the idea” of being a Yankee.
- Anthony Santander stats (ESPN): .235/.308/.506, .814 OPS, 44 home runs, 102 RBI, 25 doubles
While Santander barely cracked a .300 OBP last season and finished with his lowest batting average since 2018, he did set career-highs in home runs and RBI. Furthermore, the switch-hitter did fare much better at reaching base in previous years with a .322 OBP and .249 batting average in 1,165 at-bats from 2022-’23
As for how Santander’s game would profile at Yankee Stadium, Baseball Savant‘s expected home runs by park would give him more home runs there (40) than he would’ve hit at Camden Yards (37). Plus, with the surrounding talent in the Yankees lineup, Santander would stand a strong chance of recording a .790-plus OPS for the third consecutive season.
