The New York Yankees continued to progress as an organization on Saturday afternoon. In the fallout of losing Juan Soto in free agency, the Yankees signed Max Fried before swinging huge trades for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams.
On Saturday, the Yankees agreed to terms on a deal with free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt comes to the Yankees on a reported one-year, $12.5 million deal. This comes following free agent Christian Walker, another longtime target of the Yankees, signing with the Houston Astros.
General manager Brian Cashman decided to go with a more affordable option at first base. Pete Alonso was another slugger on the market who the Yankees opted against.
Keeping first base affordable opens the door to spend more money at third base, where the Yankees desperately need an upgrade. Who's the best option on the table?
Astros longtime third baseman Alex Bregman.
Bregman has long been connected to the Yankees this winter, but there are a few other teams that make the race competitive. The Astros were once seen as the favorites, but since signing Walker, it seems like Houston is out of the Bregman race.
For the Yankees, the long-time Astro would fill the biggest hole on the roster in a huge way. Bregman would slot in at third base while Jazz Chisholm Jr. slides over to second base. This allows Chisholm to play his natural position while Bregman is a huge upgrade over former Yankee Gleyber Torres.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post predicts Bregman to sign a $170 million deal, which is still in New York's price range following the Goldschmidt signing. New York should now be seen as the heavy favorite for Bregman.
