The New York Yankees are coming along nicely this offseason after losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets, having already acquired Max Fried, Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger to bolster the roster and make another run to the World Series.
It’s a great rebuild, but there’s still a lot of work to do, and one insider recently said the Yankees are still looking at two other stars.
“The Yankees were also interested in (Christian) Walker, but didn’t want to lose a compensatory pick. They’re still focused on Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana,” wrote Bob Nightingale of USA Today at X .
The Yankees were also interested in Walker, but didn’t want to lose a compensatory pick.They are still focused on Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 20, 2024
Walker was recently off the market when he agreed to a three-year deal with the Houston Astros, a move that requires compensation for a draft pick, so the Yankees will now focus on Goldschmidt and Santana to play first base.
Anthony Rizzo’s tenure as the Yankees’ first baseman is likely over, and Goldschmidt or Santana would be an affordable, short-term, veteran solution who could add power to the lineup.
Goldschmidt is coming off the worst year of his career and is 37 years old, but he is just two years removed from a .981 OPS season and could benefit from a change of scenery.
Santana will turn 39 at the start of the 2025 season, but posted a solid 2.5 WAR for the Minnesota Twins last season.
Either would be a good replacement for the Yankees, and perhaps most importantly, each has been a pillar of health throughout their careers, something Rizzo has struggled with over the past few years.
Moving Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets would be a nice revenge move, but the Yankees seem far more focused on a shorter-term deal with the veteran.
