Yankees' 2024 Free Agents, Trade Targets, Offseason Guide After World Series Loss

The New York Yankees' hopes of winning their 28th World Series title ended in disappointment on Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers won Game 5.

With 94 wins and the club's first AL pennant since they last won it all in 2009, it was a successful season overall for the Yankees, but anything short of bringing home the hardware was bound to leave the fanbase disappointed.

The focus now shifts to a busy offseason and whether they can find a way to keep Juan Soto in free agency. The better question might be whether they can afford to let him leave after he meant so much to the team's success in 2024.

Now that the season has officially come to a close, it's time to look ahead at what's to come for the Bronx Bombers.

After finishing 82-80 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the Yankees set to work restocking the roster last offseason, pulling off a blockbuster deal to acquire Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres.

He joined Aaron Judge to form baseball's most potent offensive one-two punch, and Judge will almost certainly take home his second AL MVP award in a few weeks after hitting .322/.458/.701 with 58 home runs, 144 RBI and 10.8 WAR in 158 games.

The Yankees finished 94-68 to win the AL East title and claim the No. 1 seed in the AL playoff bracket, and they cruised to victory over the Kansas City Royals in four games in the ALDS and the Cleveland Guardians in five games in the ALCS.

Searching for their first World Series title since 2009 and the 28th in the storied history of the franchise, they were one out away from stealing Game 1 at Dodger Stadium when Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam and every ounce of momentum shifted to the opposing dugout.

A lackluster performance from Judge once again in October was perhaps the biggest storyline for the Yankees, but it takes more than just one player underperforming for a team to be steamrolled in the World Series.

Now the Yankees face some huge offseason decisions, headlined by Soto's free agency and Gerrit Cole's potential opt-out.

Notable Free Agents

• OF Juan Soto
• 2B Gleyber Torres
• RP Clay Holmes
• RP Tommy Kahnle
• OF Alex Verdugo
• RP Tim Hill
• RP Jonathan Loáisiga

The biggest story of the offseason for the Yankees will be whether Juan Soto's time in pinstripes continues beyond what was a terrific 2024 season in which he hit .288/.419/.569 for a 178 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 41 home runs and 109 RBI in a 7.9-WAR campaign.

It could take north of $500 million to get him signed, but the optics of losing him in free agency and the fact that he was such an important part of the team's success makes that a price the organization might deem necessary to pay.

The trade-deadline addition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. to play third base gives the Yankees some flexibility as far as the free agency of Gleyber Torres is concerned, as they could shift Chisholm back to his natural second base position and target a third baseman or keep him at the hot corner and look for a new second baseman.

Chances are Torres will be playing elsewhere in 2024, though he could be a candidate for a qualifying offer.

Clay Holmes (67 G, 30 SV, 3.14 ERA), Tommy Kahnle (50 G, 16 HLD, 2.11 ERA) and Tim Hill (35 G, 3 HLD, 2.05 ERA) were three of the team's most prominent relievers, though Holmes led the majors with 13 blown saves, while Kahnle and Hill were both in their age-34 seasons, so all three could walk.

Alex Verdugo is almost certainly out the door, while the team could look to come to terms on an incentive-laden deal to bring back Jonathan Loáisiga, who underwent elbow surgery in April, as he has been a lights-out setup option in the past.

Notable Club/Player Options

• SP Gerrit Cole (opt-out)
• 1B Anthony Rizzo ($17 million club option)
• RP Lou Trivino ($5 million club option)
• RP Luke Weaver ($2.5 million club option)

If the Soto decision is the biggest of the offseason, Gerrit Cole's opt-out is "1A" on that list, though his contract continues a unique clause that allows the Yankees to void his opt-out by adding an extra year at $36 million to the back of his current deal. That 10th year to his contract would be for his age-38 season in 2029.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo failed to play 100 games for the second year in a row, and he turned 35 years old in August. His $17 million club option will likely be declined, but there is a chance the Yankees could bring him back on a two-year deal with more guaranteed money and a lower AAV.

Lou Trivino having his option declined and breakout closer Luke Weaver having his exercised should both be straightforward decisions.

Infielder

The focal point of the offseason is going to be trying to re-sign Juan Soto, and that likely means shopping for bargain options to fill their other needs, including finding at least one starter on the infield.

The Yankees will have Anthony Volpe at shortstop, Jazz Chisholm Jr. at either second or third base, and either Anthony Rizzo back at first base or some combination of DJ LeMahieu and Ben Rice manning the position.

Multiple Bullpen Arms

As mentioned, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill are all headed for free agency, leaving Luke Weaver, Jake Cousins, Mark Leiter Jr. and Ian Hamilton as the top returning bullpen pieces.

Even if they trust Weaver to continue his unexpected success in the closer's role, they still need to find a reliable setup option to replace Kahnle and at least one or two other middle relief options, including another lefty.

Starting Pitching Depth

If Gerrit Cole opts out and winds up departing in free agency—which seems unlikely at this point—the Yankees still have Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman under control for next season.

They signed Weaver as a bargain depth option for the starting rotation last offseason and he ended up being their most reliable bullpen option, so look for the front office to target another depth piece in that $2-3 million range.

IF Donovan Solano

"Donnie Barrels" hit .286/.343/.417 for a 112 OPS+ in 309 plate appearances with the San Diego Padres after joining them on a minor league contract last offseason. The 36-year-old possesses some of the best bat-to-ball skills in baseball, and he has seen regular action at first base, second base and third base in his career.

RP Tanner Scott

Scott could be out of the Yankees' price range, but he represents the lights-out left-hander their bullpen has been missing this season. The 30-year-old had a 1.75 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 in 72 appearances with the Marlins and Padres while tallying 22 saves and 11 holds and earning his first All-Star selection. It might take something like a four-year, $60 million deal to get him signed, but he would be a huge addition to the relief corps.

RP Adam Ottavino

Ottavino made at least 60 appearances for the eighth time in his career and the fourth year in a row in 2024, posting a 4.34 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in 60 games with the New York Mets while playing on a one-year, $4.5 million deal. The slider specialist spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Yankees, and even at 38 years old, he is still a solid bullpen piece with ample late-inning experience.

SP Spencer Turnbull

Turnbull went 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA over 32.1 innings in six April starts for the Phillies after signing a one-year, $2 million deal during the offseason. Despite that success, he was shifted to the bullpen once Taijuan Walker returned to action, and he continued to pitch well in a multi-inning role through the end of June when he suffered a lat strain that kept him sidelined the rest of the way. He offers intriguing buy-low upside with the ability to fill a variety of roles on the staff.

2B Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies

Rodgers has never quite lived up to being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, but he has been a productive player when healthy. He won the NL Gold Glove at second base during a 4.3-WAR season in 2022, and he hit .267/.314/.407 with 29 doubles, 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 135 games this past season. He would team with Anthony Volpe to form one of the best defensive middle infields in baseball.

IF Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels

Rengifo represents a more offensive-minded infield addition, albeit one with ample experience playing second base, shortstop and third base in the big leagues. He hit .300/.347/.417 for a 116 OPS+ with 20 extra-base hits and 24 steals in 78 games last year, though he was sidelined from Aug. 2 through the end of the year after undergoing wrist surgery.

RP Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay Rays

It remains to be seen if the Rays would consider trading Fairbanks to one of their division rivals, but he would bring plenty of late-game experience to the Yankees bullpen after tallying 48 saves over the past two seasons. The 30-year-old has a team-friendly $3.7 million salary for the 2025 season and a $7 million club option for 2026.

RP Austin Adams, Oakland Athletics

Armed with a lethal slider that generated a 39.3 percent whiff rate last season, Adams has the stuff to be a solid setup option. The 33-year-old has the best season of his career in 2024 with the Athletics, posting a 3.92 ERA and 11.5 K/9 in 56 appearances while tallying 22 holds as one of the club's top late-inning arms.

Starting Lineup

1B Donovan Solano
RF Juan Soto
CF Aaron Judge
DH Giancarlo Stanton
3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2B Brendan Rodgers
C Austin Wells
LF Jasson Dominguez
SS Anthony Volpe

Bench

C Jose Trevino
1B Ben Rice
IF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera
OF Trent Grisham

Starting Rotation

RHP Gerrit Cole
LHP Carlos Rodón
RHP Clarke Schmidt
LHP Nestor Cortes
RHP Luis Gil

Bullpen

RHP Spencer Turnbull
LHP Tim Mayza
RHP Jake Cousins
RHP Ian Hamilton
RHP Adam Ottavino
RHP Mark Leiter Jr.
LHP Tanner Scott
RHP Luke Weaver

Note: This roster projection includes the Yankees releasing DJ LeMahieu and trading Marcus Stroman in a cost-cutting move.