Ex-MLB catcher suggests Yankees "save $500,000,000 - $700,000,000 it'd take to sign Juan Soto" to fill vital gaps in lineup
Juan Soto is set to become the hottest free agent this off-season and is expected to command a record-breaking deal worth well over $500 million. This puts the New York Yankees in a challenging position as they weigh whether to spend heavily in retaining the left-handed slugger or to allocate their resources toward addressing glaring holes in the team that were exposed during the World Series.
Former MLB catcher Chris Gimenez believes the Yankees would be better served to put the concerns of the team first rather than committing a colossal sum to re-sign Soto.
Gimenez, who played 10 years in the major leagues as a backup catcher for six different teams, shared his insights while speaking on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM this Saturday.
"I'd love to see him continue to stay a Yankee," Gimenez said. "Because I feel like that ballpark, that team, and the way the offense is built currently fits him to a tee. But they have way bigger issues than re-signing Juan Soto.
"They've got a lot of holes to fill," he added. "As crazy as this sounds, I feel that saving the $500 million to $700 million it'd take to sign Juan Soto and utilizing that or redirecting those funds to completeing out your team as a whole is probably a better strategy.
During the regular season, Soto batted .288/.419/.569 for the Yankees, posting 178 OPS+, 109 RBIs and a career-high 41 home runs. He was their best hitter in the postseason, going 12-49 over 14 games with four home runs, nine RBIs, and 14 walks.
Chris Gimenez feels the Yankees need to bolster the infield rather than sign Juan Soto
The New York Yankees posted the best regular season record in the American League with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in their lineup, along with winning the pennant after 15 years. However, their weaknesses were completely exposed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
In Game 5, the Yankees let slip a five-run advantage after making three fielding errors in one inning that allowed the Dodgers to come back and win the game, ultimately clinching the Fall Classic.
"They need a lot of help in a lot of different areas, and it starts with bleeding out some of the mistakes they have made," he continued. "Defense on the infield was not good. Getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. definitely helped that out a lot. They need to continue to work on their bullpen and add on to it.
"I think they need to try and go after big-time backend guys if they want to play this type of baseball," Chris Gimenez said. "They need a first baseman, and they potentially need a third baseman or a second baseman depending upon how they play Jazz Chisholm Jr. next year."
The Yankees have already opted to part ways with first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and current second baseman Gleyber Torres is set to become a free agent this offseason.