2 contract extensions the Yankees should pursue, 2 they should avoid in 2024

Yankees contract extension to pursue: Anthony Volpe

Anthony Volpe's rookie season was successful. It wasn't perfect. It was hardly devoid of blemishes. And there's developing to be done. But a Gold Glove/20-20 campaign for his first 162-game slate is the definition of great potential.

More importantly, however? The Yankees know exactly what Volpe needs to work on in order to grow and be the franchise cornerstone he's envisioned as. His defense needs minor tweaks, and that'll come with more reps. His offensive approach is hit or miss, and he'll just need to cut back on striking out and chasing, while being a bit more patient at the plate. Very few rookies burst onto the scene with a sparkling profile that screams "All-Star."

Volpe's stretches of success in 2023 (on a horribly constructed and vibe-cursed Yankees roster, mind you) were notable and highlight-worthy. He's constantly praised by the organization and his teammates for his hard work and attitude, so why not give him security and declare him a franchise piece with a mid-tier, $150 million gamble? Nothing will ever look worse than Aaron Hicks' $70 million extension, so the only place to go is up.

Bobby Witt Jr.'s $288 million extension might've given the Yankees an opportunity to evaluate Volpe's market after one season. Maybe Volpe accepts, maybe he opts to take it year by year. Either way, it's worth a try because this can help set the payroll flexibility for years to come.

Yankees contract extension to pursue: Jasson Dominguez

Like Volpe, Dominguez is very, very green. His eight-game cameo with the Bombers last year had us all floored, but then a UCL injury landed him on the shelf (and he'll be out until the middle of this summer). He's also played just 17 games above Double-A.

But again, this is another name the Yankees have been unwaveringly confident with, refusing to even entertain in trade talks for the biggest stars in the sport. That doesn't mean they're ready and willing to jump the gun right now, but it at least has to be a thought, right?

Scouts have been gushing over Dominguez's five tools ever since he was signed out of the Dominican Republic back in 2019. He's received pretty cool (but unfair) comparisons to Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout. Though Yankees fans have kept their expectations tempered, they couldn't help themselves when Dominguez lit up spring training and then (finally) debuted in September, taking Justin Verlander deep in his first career at-bat in Houston to propel the Yanks to a series sweep.

How about $100 million for Dominguez? Ronald Acuña Jr. got $100 million after a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2019 and the Braves have been reaping the benefits every single day. If Dominguez returns to the Bombers and starts raking in the summer, that should be the number. If the two sides discuss this before he's back from injury, it should look more like Michael Harris II's eight-year, $72 million contract. But we doubt the Martian will settle for that.

Either way, Dominguez's name recognition and player profile fit New York (and anywhere, really) perfectly. Letting both his and Volpe's situations "play out" isn't in the team's best interests. One needs to be prioritized on the extension front.

Yankees contract extension to avoid: Juan Soto

"Avoid a contract extension with Juan Soto?! Are you f---ing stupid?!" Just hoooold up there, buddy. This has nothing to do with the Yankees' desire to keep him in the Bronx, or his fit with New York for the next 12 years.

Soto, as of this moment, doesn't want an extension. His agent, Scott Boras, is probably relentlessly advising against it. If neither of those things were true, the Yankees probably would've sealed the deal over a month ago.

Cashman came out and said, straight up, that almost nothing will prevent Soto from reaching free agency after 2024, something everybody already knew (but thick-headed opposing fans decided to laugh at because they read a headline rather than follow the story for two months).

Trying to work out an extension with Soto feels like it would do more harm than good because of how the line's seemingly been drawn. And if the Yankees are at the forefront of the "business" side of MLB's dealings, they should know better. A player of Soto's caliber and age represented by an agent like Boras does not sign an extension. He tests the open market, which is now beneficial more than ever for the top 10% of players in the game. Shohei Ohtani just got $700 million. Yoshinobu Yamamoto got $325 million. Aaron Judge got $360 million. Manny Machado got $350 million. Corey Seager got $325 million. Xander Bogaerts got $289 million. There is no logical reason, from a business standpoint, for Soto to make the biggest decision of his life before the proper time arrives.

Let the situation play out. Make a deep playoff run. Hell, maybe win a World Series? The Yankees need to provide Soto with a one-of-a-kind environment. The money's already there.