The New York Yankees are fresh off the first win of their World Series matchup versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yet, they still face a 3-1 series deficit. Another loss, and they’ll be back to placing all their attention on improving the roster for next year, where they’ll hope to have even more success.
Once the offseason gets underway, most of the talk will focus on the future of Juan Soto with the superstar slugger scheduled to become one of the most high-profile free agents in MLB history. After making the initial investment to trade for the four-time All-Star, it’s expected that the Yankees will spare no expense in their attempt to get Soto signed to a long-term contract, likely worth roughly half a billion dollars.
Yet, with so many other contenders expected to pursue MLB’s best free agent, it’s clear the Yankees will have some stiff competition. Which brings us to the question, what if the Yankees can’t get Soto under contract again? What would they do?
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New York Yankees could pivot to Pete Alonso if Juan Soto contract talks fail
It’s obvious that Plan A for the New York Yankees involves signing Juan Soto to a massive contract extension this offseason. But fans have seen how quickly things can change once a superstar talent hits the open market. Once those dollar amounts start getting tossed around, everything we thought we knew goes out the window.
But even if the Yankees somehow aren’t able to convince Juan Soto that The Bronx is the perfect place for him to settle down, it doesn’t mean they’ll give up on adding premier talent. In fact, it could make them more aggressive as they pivot to their alternative gameplan.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, part of those plans could involve pivoting to signing another big bopper, such as New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso.
“Should the Yankees be unable to make good on their “top priority” and re-sign superstar free agent Juan Soto, one backup plan involves Mets slugging star Pete Alonso plus pitching stars, perhaps former Cy Young winners Corbin Burnes or Blake Snell.”
Jon Heyman on New York Yankees’ offseason plans
While Yankees fans may hate the idea of losing Soto to another team, the chance to add one or even two former Cy Young winners sounds like a sound fallback plan. Plus, adding Alonso would ensure the Yankees would still have a big power threat in the everyday lineup.
Even though he’s not as versatile as Soto, Alonso is also a four-time All-Star who strikes fear in his opponents. Ultimately, the Yankees would do well to land one, two, or even three big names if their attempt to sign Soto comes up short.
