New York Yankees

Two of the most impressive players in baseball took home a coveted award on Thursday.

Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were named the 2024 Hank Aaron Award winners.

Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers won it in the National League while Judge of the New York Yankees took it home in the American League.

It marks the second time each player has won the award. Ohtani won it in the AL last season when he was with the Los Angeles Angels while Judge claimed it in 2022 when he broke the AL home run record.

Both players had outstanding years and ultimately finished their seasons in the World Series—Ohtani and the Dodgers came out on top as he won his first championship.

Ohtani, in his debut season with the Dodgers, had 54 home runs, 130 RBI, 38 doubles and seven triples. He had career-highs in homers, RBI and doubles while also posting a career-best .310 batting average. His 1.036 OPS was the second-best in the majors only behind Judge.

But Ohtani was more than just power at the plate this year as he also showed off his speed. He stole 59 bases, smashing his previous career-high of 26. He became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

Judge was his usual self at the plate in 2024. He blasted 58 homers, 144 RBI, 36 doubles and one triple. He had the best OPS in the majors at 1.159 while recording the third-best batting average at .322.

New York Yankees star Juan Soto has been under intense watch this offseason after hitting free agency following the team's World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The New York Mets are in a battle with the Yankees over his contract, but the dark-horse Toronto Blue Jays may swoop in to steal Soto from both teams.

The Blue Jays are reportedly "highly motivated" and plan to "be in big" for the 26-year-old, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Soto's signing is expected to be a record-setting deal and, according to Heyman, the Blue Jays' ownership and powerful incentives to turn the team around could be enough to lure Soto to Toronto.

In addition to the Yankees and Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox are also planning visits with the superstar this week, according to Heyman.

Following the Yankees' World Series loss, Soto said he would consider "all 30 teams" during his free agency. While he prefers to join a winning team, he also wants one that demonstrates "how much they want me," according to Heyman.

One general manager expressed the belief that Soto will aim for a record-breaking 15-year contract, likely surpassing the $40 million annual salary of Aaron Judge, the highest for a position player, and potentially exceeding the $43.3 million record set by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

The GM also suggested that a deal of at least 13 years, potentially tying the record, will be offered, per Heyman.

While the New York Yankees and New York Mets are believed to be among the front runners to land star free agent Juan Soto this offseason, some suggested that the team that signs him will be in for a significant commitment.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, "One interested [general manager] said he believes Soto will seek a record 15-year deal" and "suggested at least a record-tying 13 years will be offered."

The GM added that Soto's deal is likely to break Yankees star Aaron Judge's position player salary record of $40 million per year, and could break the overall record of $43.3 million held by veteran pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Shohei Ohtani signed a record $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but most of that money is deferred and he earns $2 million annually until 2034.

Along with the Yankees and Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and two "mystery" teams are expected to visit with Soto in California this week, per Heyman. Industry sources told Heyman that the Blue Jays are "a viable obstacle to the favored Yankees and Mets" and will be motivated to make the 26-year-old the face of their franchise.

Soto's agent Scott Boras recently said that the four-time All-Star will take his time in free agency and will prioritize signing with a team that could contend for a World Series title.

"Juan loves winning and winning organizations and a winning owner," Boras told ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "The geography part of it is that Juan and his loved ones are going to be comfortable. That's what's most important to him. And major league geography ... Juan's played on both: West Coast and East Coast. His main thing, the priority, is winning."

As the most coveted player on the open market, Soto's free agency decision will be the biggest storyline of the winter.

New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone has revealed he was "a little bit" bothered by disparaging comments from Los Angeles Dodgers free agent Joe Kelly following the 2024 World Series.

"A little bit," Boone said on Monday. "The bottom line is, we didn't play as well as we could've. Obviously, especially had a tough inning in Game 5. So, that's the ultimate disappointment. Try never to get too caught up into what other people are saying or doing, especially when it comes from certain places."

After the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games, Kelly called out Boone's team and compared New York to Los Angeles' other postseason opponents.

"It was just a mismatch from the get-go," Kelly told the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast. "If we had a playoff re-ranking, they might be ranked the eighth- or ninth-best playoff team, you know what I mean? You're putting the Padres ahead of them, you're putting the Phillies ahead of them, you're putting the Mets ahead of them, you're putting the Braves ahead of them."

The 36-year-old appeared in 35 games with the Dodgers in 2024, recording a 4.78 ERA to go along with 35 strikeouts and 16 walks in 32 innings of work. Kelly didn't participate in Los Angeles' postseason run as he dealt with a shoulder issue.

Boone appeared to be more concerned with the Yankees' collapse in Game 5 compared to the right-hander's comments, and it's not hard to see why. New York led 5-0 entering the fifth inning and looked to send the series back to Los Angeles.

Instead, the Dodgers tied the game due to a string of fielding mistakes. L.A. scored five runs against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, but all were unearned.

The Yankees took the lead again with a sacrifice fly by Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth inning, but it wouldn't be enough to secure the win.

Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux and eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts drove in a pair of runs during the top of the eighth inning and finished the contest with a 7-6 victory.

After winning a title with Los Angeles, Kelly is a free agent.

As for Boone, he'll return as the Yankees' skipper for an eighth season after the team exercised his 2025 club option on Friday.

The New York Yankees are among the teams that have expressed interest in signing Japanese ace Roki Sasaki this offseason, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Per MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan, Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines announced Saturday that they will post Sasaki this offseason, paving the way for him to play in Major League Baseball next season.

Despite being just 23 years of age, Sasaki is a two-time NPB All-Star, he has thrown one perfect game and he holds the NPB single-game record with 19 strikeouts.

Over the course of his four seasons with Chiba Lotte, Sasaki has been a dominant force, going 30-15 with a 2.02 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 524 strikeouts in 414.2 innings.

He also played for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, going 1-0 with a 3.52 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 7.2 innings for a squad that beat the United States in the championship game.

On Team Japan, Sasaki played alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers after getting posted last offseason.

Yamamoto had a 3.00 ERA in 18 regular-season starts for the Dodgers and played a significant role in them beating the Yankees in the World Series.

Unlike Yamamoto, there will be restrictions on the type of contract Sasaki can sign since he is not yet 25 years old.

If Sasaki signs with a team, he will be under team control for at least six seasons before being eligible to become a free agent. He is also subject to international bonus pool money restrictions.

Harrigan noted that the Dodgers are expected to be players for Sasaki after signing both Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani last offseason, both of whom were Sasaki's teammates in the World Baseball Classic.

However, since the Dodgers can't simply outspend everyone for Sasaki based on the restrictions in place, other teams figure to have a strong opportunity to sign him as well.

The Yankees could provide the same type of big market and winning environment, plus they are capable of spending as much as allowable to sign Sasaki.

New York is set to return each of its top six starting pitchers from last season in Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman, however, Sasaki could give them a true No. 2 or No. 3 behind Cole.

The Yankees have also had some enormous success signing Japanese players over the years, including 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who was a two-time All-Star and had a career playoff ERA of 3.33 with the Yanks.

Of course, the Yankees' primary focus is re-signing outfielder Juan Soto, who is testing free agency after hitting .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBI in his only season in New York.

If the Yankees can find a way to come out of the offseason with both Soto and Sasaki, they may be viewed as the team to beat entering the 2025 campaign.

As New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto prepares to make his free agency decision, club owner Hal Steinbrenner is reportedly planning to visit the star.

According to Mark W. Sanchez and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Steinbrenner is expected to fly out to Southern California to meet with Soto and agent Scott Boras in "about a week and a half."

On Thursday, the New York Post's Mike Puma reported that New York Mets owner Steve Cohen was also traveling to meet with the outfielder "next week."

The Mets and Yankees are far from the only potential suitors for the 26-year-old. Heyman and Sanchez noted on Friday that the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays have all shown interest in Soto. The Yankees' "biggest threat" will likely be Cohen's team, though.

Soto and Steinbrenner met in July to discuss his experiences throughout his first year with the team ahead of his impending free agency, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

"It's always good to see [an owner] coming over at least to say hi, see how we're doing, what we have in mind, this and that," Soto said about the meeting, per Kuty. "It's great to have an owner that really cares for players."

The four-time All-Star's first season with the Bronx Bombers was undoubtedly a success. After he was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres during the 2023 offseason, he hit .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs during his 2024 campaign.

Soto also made a strong impression in the postseason, recording four homers in 14 games while helping the Yankees make an appearance in the Fall Classic.

The Mets will likely make a strong push to add Soto to a lineup that already features four-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and breakout third baseman Mark Vientos. Cohen also has a decision to make regarding free-agent slugger Pete Alonso, who racked up a team-high 34 homers in 2024.

As Soto prepares to converse with Steinbrenner and Cohen, the meetings with both owners could heavily sway his final decision.

The reigning American League champion New York Yankees are heavily in the market for relief pitchers after patching together a bullpen during the 2024 season.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Carlos Estévez is believed to be among the "many" free-agent relievers the Yankees have interest in signing.

The Yankees will likely start 2025 with Luke Weaver in the closer's role after picking up his $2.5 million option on Nov. 1.

Beyond Weaver, though, there are a significant questions about how manager Aaron Boone will navigate the middle innings as things currently stand with the roster.

Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill are all free agents. That trio combined for 149.2 innings in the regular season. They were also the main group of relievers that Boone turned to in the playoffs after Weaver.

Estévez was an All-Star for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023. He split last season between the Angels and Philadelphia Phillies, who acquired him in a trade on July 27.

The 31-year-old Estévez had the best season of his career in 2024 with a 2.45 ERA in 54 appearances. He allowed just 38 hits and five homers in 55 innings.

After a rough start to his career with the Colorado Rockies, Estévez has turned into one a reliable middle reliever. He has posted a 3.30 ERA in 179 appearances since 2022.

Since Estévez isn't a closer, his price on the open market likely won't be incredibly high. The Yankees will probably need to sign at least two relievers given their current group of free agents.

Estévez would slot right in as a middle reliever who is effective against both righties and lefties for the Yankees if he ends up signing with them.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is returning to the team in 2025.

The Yankees announced on Friday they have exercised Boone's contract option for next season after leading the team to a World Series appearance in 2024.

Boone's tenure as Yankees skipper has been a constant tightrope in which he seems to be on the verge of getting fired. He appeared to be in the most serious jeopardy last year when the team finished 82-80 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Despite their struggles in 2023, Boone had plenty of support within the organization.

"Boone is an asset, not part of the problem," said one high-ranking Yankees official to SNY's Andy Martino in August 2023.

That sentiment proved to be right when Boone was brought back for the 2024 campaign. The Yankees performed much better with the addition of Juan Soto hitting in front of Aaron Judge and a breakout performance from Luis Gil in the starting rotation.

New York made it back to the postseason and won the AL pennant for the first time since 2009. USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted that any decision about the manager for 2025 would be dependent on the team's postseason performance.

The Yankees wound up losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Boone wasn't the main culprit for why they lost that series, but his decision to use Nestor Cortes in relief in Game 1 when he gave up the walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman raised some eyebrows.

The main criticism of Boone has stemmed from his bullpen management, particularly in the postseason. Former Yankees starter Luis Severino publicly questioned how the relievers were deployed after a Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in the 2022 ALDS.

On the whole, though, Boone has done a good job of navigating all of the pressures that come with managing in the Bronx. The Yankees certainly value his presence in the dugout, though it will be interesting to see if they extend his contract or let him play things out in 2025 before deciding whether or not to offer him a new deal.

Boone was originally hired by the Yankees in December 2017 after the team decided not to renew Joe Girardi's contract. He will become just the eighth person in franchise history to manage at least eight seasons. His 603 wins are the seventh-most ever for a Yankees skipper.

Starting pitcher Corbin Burnes is expected to have several high-profile teams interested in him as a free agent.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Mets and New York Yankees will be involved in Burnes' free agency process. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are also "expected" to be in play, while the Baltimore Orioles are interested in a potential return.

Heyman also projected Burnes to receive a seven-year, $210 million contract as a free agent after "conversations with expert consultants."

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel previously reported that the 30-year-old is "widely expected to clear $200 million" on his next contract.

A potential $210 million deal would represent the third-largest overall contract value among active starters, per Spotrac. Burnes would rank just above Jacob deGrom of the Texas Rangers while only trailing Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

After New York and Los Angeles faced off in the 2024 World Series, it's no surprise that both teams are interested in adding another elite starter to their respective rotations.

Burnes has been an All-Star in each of the past four seasons, earning National League Cy Young honors in 2021. In 32 starts with the Orioles during his 2024 campaign, he finished with a 15-9 record to go along with a 2.92 ERA. Burnes also struck out 181 batters and allowed 48 walks in 194.1 innings of work.

Heyman reported on Wednesday that the Yankees "checked on" Burnes, but it was uncertain if New York would be willing to add him while simultaneously bringing back slugger Juan Soto in free agency.

The Mets could also be an option for Burnes, as president of baseball operations David Stearns previously spent time in the Milwaukee Brewers' front office during the starter's six-year stint with the organization.

The Dodgers may potentially add Burnes to a World Series-winning pitching staff that already features Yamamoto as well as the expected return of Shohei Ohtani on the mound.

The New York Yankees' main priority in free agency will be trying to retain star slugger Juan Soto, but the team reportedly also has an interest in improving its pitching staff.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees "checked on" free-agent ace pitchers Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell, and also "are interested" in Sean Manaea, who is expected to turn down a $21.05 million qualifying offer from the New York Mets.

Heyman added that the Yankees also "checked in on" outfielder Anthony Santander and Mets free-agent slugger Pete Alonso, but both of them are viewed as "strictly backup plans" if Soto doesn't re-sign.

The Yankees' starting rotation will once again be led by ace Gerrit Cole, who chose to stay with the team on his original deal rather than opt out and test free agency this offseason. The 34-year-old overcame an early injury this past season and finished the year with an 8-5 record in 17 starts with a 3.41 ERA and 99 strikeouts.

Behind Cole, Carlos Rodon has proven to be a reliable No. 2 starter, and youngsters Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil are expected to play key roles next season as well. Adding another top pitcher to the mix would surely boost New York's chances of making another deep postseason run next year following its loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series.

However, the Yankees likely won't be able to address their pitching staff until Soto makes his decision. The 26-year-old is the most prized free agent on the market and will have the opportunity to sign a historic contract, so New York will face significant competition in its quest to retain him.

If the Yankees are successful in keeping Soto and adding an ace pitcher, they will remain the favorites to represent the American League in the World Series next year.