3 semi-surprising non-tenders that could help Yankees sign Juan Soto

If the New York Yankees are going to bring Juan Soto home through the end of his career, they're going to need to make a few sacrifices this offseason. Yes, that means youngsters Jasson Dominguez, Caleb Durbin, and possibly Ben Rice playing prominent roles. It also means a few existing players at the margins of the roster might see their escalating salaries sliced off the payroll.

This offseason's budget crunch undoubtedly has the Yankees fantasizing about ridding themselves of the costs of DJ LeMahieu ($15 million in 2025 and 2026) and Marcus Stroman ($18.5 million against the luxury tax the next two seasons). Unfortunately, that won't be so easy; the Yankees will be on the hook for any and all costs if they DFA these particular veterans, and any team that volunteers to help them clear salary in trade won't eat it all (and will ask for top prospects for the privilege of doing so).

Still, the Yankees need Soto. They also need bullpen depth. And a first baseman. And a rotation boost. In order to cram all that into the payroll, they'll probably have to get clever with their non-tenders, adding to their total list of departures.

That means Trent Grisham, Tim Mayza, and (somewhat surprisingly) Jon Berti will likely be let loose by the end of next week.

Yankees could non-tender two other veterans in addition to Trent Grisham for Juan Soto money

Grisham was a necessary appendage/salary absorption in order to fuel last winter's Juan Soto trade, but he received zero plate appearances during the 2024 postseason ... despite being rostered in every round. With an escalating arbitration cost of ~$7M, he serves no purpose on the Yankees' bench, as currently constructed. He was rarely used and sputtered defensively, despite that being his supposed strength.

Mayza, acquired midseason, was also carried throughout the postseason, and received a bit of spotlight. He was essentially replacement-level throughout his Yankee tenure, though, and despite surviving myriad DFA opportunities last year, New York can do better next season.

Berti, injured prior to the World Series, would be a tough loss and a bench downgrade, and likely won't cost more than ~$4-5 million in his final pre-free agency season. Still, if the Yankees want to get really granular here, they'll look to shed either his salary or (gulp) Jose Trevino's, given the defense-first backup catchers they have in the minors on the 40-man (Carlos Narvaez, JC Escarra).

Regardless, the Yankees are likely to shed veteran salary next Friday, even as such a move potentially weakens their depth.