Predicting top 10 free agent destinations (and who Yankees could still sign)

4. Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant’s market is certainly dissipating faster than anyone thought it would, right? He’s the forgotten star in this class, mostly because the Mets have no intention of pursuing him, and also because his tenure with the Giants in 2021 left a bit of a sour taste in the franchise’s mouth.

Bryant hit 18 bombs in Chicago, but saw his OPS+ dip from 130 to 113 when he traded in his pinstripes for orange-and-black block letters. Now 30, he’s not quite the spring chicken everyone remembers. Why, it feels like ages ago that he had his service time manipulated!

We wish the Yankees had considered a Bryant move last summer when it was rumored they would, and he could’ve theoretically split time in left and right while floating to third, covering injury absences.

Now, that door feels closed, though Bryant’s market is bizarrely dead. We always thought he’d be a Red Sox, considering his dad was a minor-leaguer in Boston decades ago and Bryant has always been in pursuit of Ted Williams.

If we’re giving the Sox Suzuki, though, we’re going to pass Bryant on to Seattle, a team that can supplement their Robbie Ray addition with a viable offensive threat — though the ballpark’s dimensions might end up a nightmare for him.

Contract Prediction: Seattle Mariners, Three Years, $60 Million

Yankees Chances: 0%

3. Trevor Story

This is the part of the prediction game that’s so hard.

We want to soothe Yankees fans’ jangled nerves by saying that it’s all going to be OK. That, sure, they won’t get Carlos Correa, but they’ll get one of the five elite shortstops that were available to them at the beginning of the offseason.

You know, the simplest way to compete for a title while still retaining Second Baseman of the Future Anthony Volpe.

Story’s the Yankees’ best chance to enter that market. He’s still very unlikely to head to the Bronx. He’s our Carlos Correa replacement, with the aforementioned Mariners coming in second.

We’re not sure why New York wouldn’t be interested on an inflated two-year deal, but we think Story will prefer the longevity with his elbow concerns. Is anyone going to top four years, though?

Contract Prediction: Houston Astros, Four Years, $120 Million

Yankees Chances: 10%