The date is Dec. 8, 2024. The World Series ended 39 days ago. Baseball fans were looking at a long offseason ahead. Despite being in the middle of the winter, baseball media outlets were in a frenzy because of one man’s free agency decision — Juan Soto.
After a dream season with the Yankees, Soto entered free agency ready to claim a well-earned payday. He signed a massive 15-year contract of up to 800 million dollars, the largest in American sports history, with the Mets.
Blessing in Disguise
Yankee fans were in an uproar about missing out on Soto. Whether it was calling for general manager Brian Cashman to be fired or begging for new signings, passions ran high. And while in the moment, missing out on the young phenom was a huge mistake, it proved to be one of the better decisions the organization has made in recent memory.
In the year and a half since the blockbuster signing, Soto has held up his end of the bargain with the Mets, putting together a great 2025 campaign. His team missed the playoffs, though, mainly because of the lack of pitching depth on the Mets staff. This was largely due to the small amount of spending money the Mets had after handing Soto an absurd contract.
Plan B Worked
On the flipside, the Yankees have been one of the best teams in baseball over the past year and a half. To fill in the large payroll gap from Soto departing with the organization, Cashman went out and built a versatile roster. He started with World Series-winning pitcher Max Fried.
Being the biggest deal post-Soto, Fried had a ton of pressure on him to perform. In response, he went out and led MLB in wins with 19, along with posting a 2.86 ERA and finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting. To start 2026, he’s had a top-three bWAR for a starting pitcher in baseball and continues to be the ace of a loaded Yankees rotation.
Cody Bellinger also found his way to the Bronx in 2025, this time via the trade market from the Cubs. Bellinger has served as an anchor in the Yankees lineup, slotting in behind Aaron Judge and coming through in the clutch whenever he’s called upon. He’s also been incredible in the field, posting a +7 outs above average over 2025 and the beginning of 2026.
The Yankees also signed a pair of veterans in Paul Goldschmidt and Fernando Cruz. After having a great 2025 campaign, Goldschmidt has provided incredible depth to a deep Yankees squad with the breakout of Ben Rice. Cruz, now 36 years old, has been an anchor in the bullpen while showcasing one of the best pitches in baseball — his splitter.
For a Better Present and Future
Despite the controversial decision, the Yankees front office has so far proved to make the right call regarding the Soto sweepstakes. Baseball is starting to near a point where a price tag is far too much for production from just a single player. The Yankees took the risk of setting that line.
Without the financial burden of Soto on the Yankees’ record, they can allocate their funds elsewhere, such as trades or other free agent signings in the future. So far through 2026, they’ve been one of the best teams in baseball, remaining at the top of MLB in major statistical categories across every aspect of the game.
Is Juan Soto an incredible player who makes the Mets a better team? Absolutely. Was bringing Soto back on a record-breaking deal the right decision? No. The Yankees made the correct decision, and now are set up to make deep postseason runs for the foreseeable future.
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