5 unsigned Yankees free agents (and 2 who could still return)

The New York Yankees, to Brian Cashman's credit, have effectively reshuffled their roster after dealing with the stunning departure of Juan Soto.

Well, actually, it wasn't stunning he went to the Mets; there's a reason that Steve Cohen's unpaid interns have been defending his honor since the Yankees acquired Soto and shoving his finances in our faces. What was stunning was that Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner authorized a $760 million expenditure and still got waxed.

Clearly, their plan was to retain Soto and not do much else beyond that, outside of a few creative trades (Jose Trevino for Fernando Cruz likely still would've happened). When Soto departed, they spent some (but not close to all) of the money they'd earmarked for him, retaining long-term flexibility while still bringing in intriguing pieces like Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. Soto or No Soto, though, the Yankees clearly preferred to make a clean break with plenty of their 2024 contributors.

They never called Gleyber Torres. Clay Holmes wanted to be a starter; they were more than happy to let him walk to Flushing after a league-leading blown save year. And now, as the new year turns, there are still several key 2024 contributors languishing on the open market while the Yankees' phone line has largely gone dead.

Of these five important 2024 Yankees, three fates seem sealed, one door is very much open, and one remains enigmatic.

3 unsigned Yankees free agents who are likely gone in 2025

Anthony Rizzo

Despite Aaron Judge and Rizzo's night out at the US Open this summer, the Yankees were never swayed to consider picking up the first baseman's team option rather than buying it out. Rizzo was an amazing leader alongside The Captain, and fought through so much to be on the field, hitting a remarkable .429 in the ALCS after returning from hand fractures. Still, he was never the same -- both offensively and defensively -- after being knocked wayward by Fernando Tatis Jr., leading to an undiagnosed concussion (which he played through!). In April and May 2023, he OPS'd .845 and .917. June and July, before his season ended in a cloud? .538 and .457.

Rizzo's dulled reaction time was on full display in 2024, and he ended up toasted under the harsh spotlight of Game 5 of the World Series, when he and Gerrit Cole struggled to find the same page in covering first base. The rumor mill has been nearly silent surrounding Rizzo's future, but it won't be in New York.

Jon Berti

The Yankees shed Berti's salary on non-tender day to avoid as many cash commitments as they possibly could ahead of their pursuit of Soto. Berti would upgrade their bench with a marginal, speedy option, and might even be a more appealing starter than Oswaldo Cabrera/DJ LeMahieu. We'd bring him back in a heartbeat, but if the Yankees weren't willing to pay him just under $4 million (ahead of his arbitration filing), then why would they re-sign him at a similar rate now?

Tommy Kahnle

Tommy Kahnle was a great Yankee from 2017 to 2020, when his elbow snapped and New York decided to let the Dodgers pay for his rehab. He was a durable and relatively dependable Yankee during his second stint from 2023 to 2024. Unfortunately, his dominant changeup was a bit less effective down the stretch in 2024, when it became all he threw. The fastball is no longer 97 at the top of the zone. Kahnle is a different pitcher -- and still a helpful one, but not someone who the Yankees can count on to get the swing-and-miss they need. His final appearance in pinstripes, as it stands, came as the losing pitcher in Game 5 of the 2024 Fall Classic. That is unfair, but it will also likely close the book.

2 unsigned Yankees free agents who could still return

Tim Hill

The Yankees have reportedly been in contact with Hill, the sidewinding lefty reliever, all offseason. Recently, they were tied to both the incumbent option and Andrew Chafin. Both men would be excellent fits -- and would fit nicely together. Hill induces soft contact, Chafin gets whiffed. Both are of an advanced age, and neither should require too much of a commitment. If Hill's asking price is, say, a modest $4 million/year for two seasons (Berti money!), then what's holding this up? It feels likely to happen, but one wonders why we're still waiting and moving money around.

Alex Verdugo

The Yankees want to give Jasson Dominguez a chance. The Yankees should give Jasson Dominguez a chance. Alex Verdugo, who graciously attempted to give away his starting role to Dominguez last fall before earning it back by default after a poor defensive stretch by The Martian, shouldn't be an option for the Yankees next season.

But the tumbleweeds blowing by Verdugo's section of the Rumor Mill makes one wonder whether the Yankees would be interested in inviting him back as a fourth outfield option. They could offer him Trent Grisham's salary and package Grisham elsewhere in exchange for more pitching. Cody Bellinger's flexibility allows for the possiblity of Bellinger in center and Verdugo in left on Dominguez rest days.

We wouldn't bet on it, and we certainly wouldn't do it. But who's after Verdugo, who appeared in Judge's end-of-2024 New Year's Instagram post of recent memories? The Pirates? Don't count the Yankees out just yet.