The Yankees’ B plan starts with Max Fried. Would they be better without Juan Soto?

DALLAS – The Yankees didn’t get what they wanted in the end. But there is still time for them to get what they need.

Despite October’s World Series run, New York entered the offseason with more than a few holes in its roster. The starting rotation may not look like one of them, but the addition of Max Fried gives the Yankees arguably the best pitching staff in the American League. While it was a surprise to them that they secured the 31-year-old Fried the most money for a lefty in MLB history ($218 million over eight years), their quick pivot to a second ace could provide flexibility in how they deal with problems. an offensive gap created by Juan Soto’s sweepstakes loss.

That sparked the following debate among our MLB writers:

Considering how much it would have cost to sign Juan Sotohow are you feeling Fried Max the contract? You can see it The Yankees to be better when Soto is included?

Deesha Thosar: In the end, Yankees fans can breathe easy knowing that the team has shrugged off the loss of Soto and moved forward in a remarkable way. Brian Cashman revealed that the Yankees could not fully enter into the Blake Snell deal because they were waiting to see how their salary would be affected by Soto’s decision. That ended up costing them when Snell quickly signed with the Dodgers. So, it was smart for the Yankees front office to go after Fried, the other top left-handed pitcher on the market, less than 48 hours after losing Soto to the Mets.

I was more surprised at the length of the fried contract than the cost. Giving an eight-year contract to a 31-year-old with a history of recent arm injuries is certainly risky. Fried has the third-best ERA (2.81) among all major league starters since 2020, but the Yankees expect him to come close to that in his age-39 season. not expected. Those additional years the Yankees made the deal, however, allowed them to lower his average annual salary to $27.25 million, meaning they could continue to spend. this winter.

Reading Cashman’s tea leaves, it sounds like the Yankees wouldn’t be in Fried if they got Soto. So, in that sense, the Yankees are starting to improve their system – in potentially many ways – without Soto. The rotation now consists of seven starters. In addition to Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are the only bases, with at least one of Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman likely to be traded. There’s no denying that the Yankees’ offense is worse without Soto, but they could bolster it by replacing an arm or two with an impact bat.

This is where the Cody Bellinger trade starts to make a lot of sense for the Yankees. Bellinger’s versatility allows the Yankees to plug him into first base, center field or right field, and while he’s no Soto (no one is), his left-handed bat stats play well at Yankee Stadium. Bellinger is expected to make $27.5 million this season and has a player option for $25 million in 2026, and the Yankees still have some flexibility in his salary even after signing Fried. Signing Fried alone doesn’t make the Yankees better without Soto, but they are well positioned to make a couple more moves to try to get there.

Rowan Kavner: This is more than I expected from Fried, but in this post-Soto world, my mind may no longer work. The average annual price makes perfect sense — his $27.25 million a year is just shy of what his touring partner Carlos Rodón will make — but the length of the contract is surprising as Fried enters his age-31 comeback season. -consecutive years of arm problems. That’s a long time for a player starting to run in his 30s, especially one with an injury history. Then again, the Yankees clearly felt like they had to do something quickly to save face after Soto’s departure, and they’re not wrong. I would have liked Snell more for them, but after missing out on him during their pursuit of Soto, it certainly doesn’t hurt their cause to hold onto one of the top pitchers on the market, even if eight years is one or two more. than I would feel comfortable with.

Fried’s consistency is exemplary. His ability to keep the ball on the ground and make soft contact has led to a 2.81 ERA over the past five years — the best mark among pitchers who have logged at least 500 innings during that span — and he has posted a 3.25 ERA or less. every year in that episode. He was clearly in the top group of free agents this winter, but on a team that is looking for a difference in October, I would put him just behind Corbin Burnes and Snell, given Fried’s inability to miss bats. That has plagued him in recent postseasons — he’s allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in his past three playoff games dating back to 2022 — but he threw six shutout innings in Game 6 of the World Series 2021 while helping the Braves to success. heroism.

It’s still hard to imagine any player other than Shohei Ohtani worth more than $700 million, but to get better with Soto included, it’s going to take a LOT more work for the Yankees this winter. I don’t see that happening without a lot of impact bats, at least. They will probably have to get two of Alex Bregman, Christian Walker or Teoscar Hernández to start building contention. On the trade market, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see them go after Cody Bellinger, given his ability to help in the center and early.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. He previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow him on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the LA Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, raised in Texas, and returned to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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