The New York Yankees' offseason has aggressively improved their pitching, but fans are still waiting for the big offensive splash. Their winter has started with the questionable overpay of big-name free agent signing of Max Fried after being narrowly outbid by their crosstown rival, the New York Mets, for Juan Soto.
Then, there were rumors that the Yankees were looking into trading for Houston Astros Kyle Tucker, but those rumors fell through after they did not want to give up Lucas Gil, and Tucker ended up being traded to the Chicago Cubs. The same day, the Yankees addressed their closer need by trading Nester Cortes and Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers for Devin Williams.
BREAKING: The New York Yankees are finalizing a trade to acquire closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 13, 2024
This offseason has seemed like a home run for pitching, but it has been a strikeout when trying to improve the offense. Besides Aaron Judge, no one on the current depth chart comes anywhere close to matching the power numbers that Soto put up in 2024.
Yankees fans expect a return trip to the World Series after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. The problem is that with some of the market's top-tier hitters getting taken off the board, they may be running out of time to add Judge's superstar sidekick, which the offense desperately needs.
Here are four players who can be the Robin to Judge's Batman
Pete Alonso
The Mets took Soto away from the Bronx, so why not return the favor and take Pete Alonso out of Queens? Granted, Alonso is four years older than Soto, and his MVP-caliber days may be behind him, but he can still post substantial power numbers.
Plus, with Anthony Rizzo leaving for free agency and Ben Rice's massive struggles in the second half of the season, the Yankees could benefit by adding a first baseman.
In 2024, Alonso hit .240 with 34 HRs, 88 RBIs, and posted a .995 fielding percentage. The four-time All-Star has also been one of the most durable hitters, playing at least 150 games in five of his six seasons (with the only exception being the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season).
That durability would be a significant improvement over the injury-prone Rizzo, who played less than 100 games in each of the last two seasons.
Christian Walker
Christian Walker is 33 years old and the oldest player in this article, but he can still post adequate power numbers. Like with Alonso, Walker would fill in the first baseman void the Yankees possess.
The right-handed slugger is coming off a year where he hit .251 with 26 HRs and 84 RBIs. He has also had. at minimum, a .315 OBP in each of the last six seasons.
He, too, is an exceptional fielder. He had a .995 fielding percentage over 977 putouts and only two errors. To show his prowess at first base, he has won four Gold Glove Awards. Baseball Savant ranks Walker in the 91st percentile in fielding run value in 2024, whereas Alonso was in the 11th percentile.
Christian Walker has won three consecutive Gold Gloves with an OPS above .800 each season.
— MLB (@MLB) December 13, 2024
Where will the 1B land this offseason? pic.twitter.com/hufTNqo7dI
Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman is one of the most talked-about free agents now that Soto is off the board. Assuming the loss of Gleyber Torres to free agency, the signing of the former Houston Astro would solve a different infield problem the Yankees face. Bregman could take over at third base and allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to return to his more natural home at second base.
The third baseman will be 31 when the 2025 season begins, but he has been one of the more consistent hitters over his nine-year career. During that stretch, he has a .272 batting average and a .366 on-base percentage. He does not possess the power Soto has, hitting 26 HRs and 75 RBIs this past season, but he offers consistency at the plate that only a few Yankees hitters offer, ranking in the 96th percentile for squaring up the baseball.
Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason after he surprised the Chicago Cubs by picking up his player option. Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer said they are open to trading Bellinger, and with the 29-year-old having split time at first base, all three outfield positions, and designated hitter, there would be no issue finding a spot for him in the Yankees lineup.
The Cubs have reportedly been looking to move Cody Bellinger... what's his trade market?
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 26, 2024
"I think he's a Yankee... put him at first base." - Harold Reynolds pic.twitter.com/2y4xTQ4eth
His power days may be behind him, as he has not hit more than 26 HRs in any the last five seasons. Although left-handed hitters naturally see an increase in home runs in Yankee Stadium with the short fence in right field, Bellinger could see closer to the numbers he put up his first three seasons in his career, all with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he hit 39, 25, and 47 homers in those three seasons.