The New York Yankees will have a lot of work to do this offseason, but honestly it's felt like that for a long time now. It's nothing new for general manager Brian Cashman and Co., and it has "post-2022" vibes.
Remember that offseason? When Aaron Judge was coming off an historic campaign after the Yankees low-balled him with a contract extension before Opening Day and then went against his wishes by revealing it to the media? Good times.
The 2024 Yankees won the American League, but they got dominated in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will now apparently be in the mix for New York's prized free agent target this offseason.
In the end, it was a "successful" season, but it was evident this team was never good enough to conquer the playoff gaunlet and return to the pinnacle of baseball. And now the Yankees will have to combat roster turnover to keep pace in 2025.
Complete list of New York Yankees' 2025 free agents
- OF Juan Soto
- 2B Gleyber Torres
- OF Alex Verdugo
- RP Clay Holmes
- RP Tommy Kahnle
- RP Jonathan Loaisiga
- RP Nick Burdi
- RP Tim Hill
- RP Phil Bickford
- RP Tanner Tully
Yankees players with 2025 contract options
- 1B Anthony Rizzo ($17 million team option, $6 million buyout)
- RP Luke Weaver ($2.5 million team option)
- RP Lou Trivino ($5 million team option)
- SP Gerrit Cole (opt-out clause that Yankees can void by paying $36 million for one more year)
How much money is coming off the Yankees' payroll after 2024 season?
- OF Juan Soto - $31 million
- 2B Gleyber Torres - $14.2 million
- OF Alex Verdugo - $8.7 million
- RP Clay Holmes - $6 million
- RP Tommy Kahnle - $5.75 million
- RP Jonathan Loaisiga - $2.5 million
- RP Nick Burdi - $1 million
- RP Tim Hill - $1.8 million
- RP Phil Bickford - $740K
- RP Tanner Tully - $740K
- RP Lou Trivino (if option is declined): $5 million
- 1B Anthony Rizzo (if option is declined): $11 million
- Grand Total: $88.43 million
The Dodgers were the better team, yes, but the Yankees died early on in the World Series after a sweat-free ALDS and ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians. Though they got the job done, the Yankees' success was more a result of the bar being so low around them rather than their ability to seize the moment.
Without being too harsh, the Yankees badly need to let as many players depart as possible, on top of exploring trades to further upgrade the roster around Aaron Judge (and hopefully Juan Soto). The official start of the offseason will be here in a few days, and Yankees fans will know the fate of most of these players in the coming weeks.