3 Yankees players from last year's team who will be missed, 2 who won't

The New York Yankees' makeover (necessitated by Juan Soto's departure and a fundamentals-deficient World Series) is now nearly complete. Additional infield depth could be en route in the coming weeks, as well as slugging insurance for Giancarlo Stanton, but with Opening Day just over one month away, the pivot seems mostly finalized.

Each one of the "new" Yankees represents an attractive change. Cody Bellinger provides a fearsome bat from the left side as well as defensive versatility; it's clear why New York has long coveted him. Devin Williams might be the game's best closer, though ideally his talent doesn't reside in his beard. Paul Goldschmidt is as good of a one-year veteran stopgap first baseman as you'll find, and he's also just as motivated as the leftover '24 Yankees to prove to the league that he still possesses greatness. Max Fried, the richest member of the Yankees' offseason shopping list, makes the richest part of the roster look a level better.

The reload is attractive, and the departure of several faces who were lost in the shuffle will have a negligible impact on the team's chances for contention. Of course, even in a successful pivot, there are several names who'll be missed dearly — a few maybe more than you'd think.

3 Yankees players from 2024 American League champions who'll be missed

Juan Soto

You can only say it so many times before it gets repetitive and overwrought, but there is no replacing Juan Soto. The Yankees traded for Soto so they could take their best one-year shot at wooing him before he reached a record-setting free agency. It worked about as well as it possibly could've; Soto had a career-best season hitting ahead of Aaron Judge, and launched the home run that sent the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

At the end of the showcase, he decided the Mets' money and future status was more attractive. The Yankees' resulting patchwork might leave them more versatile and athletic, as well as deeper in areas other than the offense. But pretending they won't miss Soto is foolish. He was set up to be a 15-year cornerstone and future Hall of Famer in pinstripes, and now he won't be. That's a harsh reality.

Gleyber Torres

It's far easier to say "Gleyber? He's a lug on defense, good riddance. He won't be missed." than it is to examine the reality that the Yankees are down one infielder entering 2025 and have no solution for the leadoff spot.

Is Anthony Volpe about to get bumped up to the top spot, where he struggled in 2024? Torres unlocked something down the stretch leading off, hitting .293 with a .780 OPS in the second half. He was an imperfect player, and a less-than-perfect fit moving forward, but it's still fair to admit he'll be missed until he's adequately replaced. His departure certainly throws a few things off.

Tommy Kahnle

The Yankees have an impressive amount of late-inning bullpen depth entering 2025, even as they withstand a few early injuries. Kahnle, under the microscope of the 2024 World Series, did not deliver, relying exclusively on his elite changeup. The reality is that he's regressing, but still valuable over the long grind of the regular season.

More so than Kahnle as a bullpen weapon, though, the Yankees will miss Kahnle as a personality/leader/clubhouse cut-up. His 2.11 ERA in 42 2/3 innings is one thing. His leadership void is another, and the one-of-a-kind righty cannot be replicated.

2 Yankees players from last season who won't be missed in 2025

Alex Verdugo

Verdugo hasn't technically departed yet, given that he hasn't signed a new deal with another team. But ... that, in and of itself, says it all about the way his 2024 season developed.

Without Verdugo involved, the Yankees will be able to emphasize Jasson Dominguez and elevate him into the starring role a player of his pedigree deserves. The ex-left fielder was a defensive standout and an offensive contributor (rarely) at times in 2024, but the bulk of his work did not merit even a minute of revisiting. The attitude he brought helped fuel the Yankees early, but based on his Red Sox tenure, everyone knew the chip on his shoulder was a bad month away from becoming a festering negative. He never torpedoed the campaign, but he clogged Dominguez's lane and was as allergic to hard contact in the summer as he was to his batting gloves.

(If Giancarlo Stanton's injury worsens and Verdugo is re-signed for depth purposes, please delete this entire section! It never happened!)

Clay Holmes

Will "Clay Holmes: The Starter" end up working out in Flushing? The best part is ... we don't care, and we don't have to. The Frankie Montas: The Starter experiment has already had a predictable outcome, making Holmes' shiny new job even tougher from the start. Regardless, the Yankees have a wealth of pitching depth (no matter what happens with Marcus Stroman), and their bullpen will be losing the man who led all of MLB in blown saves last season. It's an imperfect counting stat. It's luck-based, partially. It's also bad to be the bottom of the barrel. Holmes was an impressive Brian Cashman find, and it's also very good that he'll be pitching on an elevated salary for somebody else this summer.