The 2024 Major League Baseball season came to an end with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series after beating the New York Yankees. Now the 30 franchises will begin to assemble this offseason in preparation for 2025.
The Yankees will have to start making some decisions regarding their players. At the end of the season, several players on the New York roster will become free agents, so if the management wants to retain them, they will have to offer a new contract.
Also Read: Freddie Freeman, the MVP of the 2024 World Series
Juan Soto
Perhaps the most notable of the free agent list, not only for the Yankees but for the entire Major Leagues, is Juan Soto. The 26-year-old Dominican had one of his best seasons in the Major Leagues with the Bronx team, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 109 runs.
Soto has already confirmed that he will be open to hearing proposals from all 30 MLB teams. Of course, the Yankees will be the first candidate and it is estimated that the young slugger could aspire to a contract worth around $500 million dollars for 14 seasons.
Juan Soto’s youth, projection and present make him one of the most coveted players in the entire Major Leagues. Therefore, the contract that the Dominican could sign in this free agency could be ranked as the second largest in history only behind Ohtani’s current one.
According to the specialized media Spotrac, Soto’s market value places him at signing a contract of around $513 million dollars for 15 seasons. Which translates to around $36.7 million per year. Although some experts even raise it to $600 million for 14 campaigns.
For now, Soto has been patient and open to listening to the proposals that come to his table, which will surely be very large, while the Dodgers are seen as a potential interested party in the services of the young outfielder.
Gleyber Torres
Another young player who will enter free agency this offseason is Venezuelan second baseman Gleyber Torres. The shortstop did not have his best year with the Yankees, so the team from the Big Apple may not offer him a deal.
Torres was paid $14.2 million in 2024 and is expected to sign with a team in free agency for seven seasons for $130 million.
Alex Verdugo
Mexican Verdugo was another of the Yankees’s acquisitions for this season and arrived with only one year left on his contract. He is now a free agent and could sign for four seasons and $60.8 million dollars.
Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo
In the case of the experienced Cole and Rizzo, their contracts have options that could put them on the market this offseason.
The right-hander’s deal includes an opt-out this year with three seasons remaining. The Yankees could waive this option in exchange for one more year of his contract worth $36 million.
Rizzo, who arrived in 2023 with a two-year, $40 million contract, has the option to stay for one year at the team’s discretion, earning $17 million.
Finally, relievers Tommy Kahnle, Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Tim Hill are the names that complete the list of Yankees free agents for this offseason.
In total, the departure of these players will represent a release of around $70 million dollars in the team’s payroll. This would put the Yankees at a salary cap of $202 million dollars by 2025.
