Yankees fans will breathe a sigh of relief after update on departing free agents

Though the New York Yankees hardly have a simple offseason ahead of them, fans have been encouraged by the early returns. They figure to be in the Juan Soto bidding until the very end while also maintaining communication with other top free agents.

Fans still need to see some sort of progress on the free agency front, but at least we now know the Yankees won't be "running it back" like they so famously have the last five years.

During Monday night's episode of "Yankees Hot Stove" on the YES Network, Jack Curry revealed the team has "no plans" to bring back Anthony Rizzo or Gleyber Torres. It could very well be a result of Soto's future contract rather than a change in philosophy, but at least it's happening.

Rizzo and Torres represented a stale approach from the front office, which played a role in holding the Yankees back during this current window. Fans might point to Rizzo's leadership and Torres' late 2024 surge, but the consistency was never there for either of them. The writing had been on the wall for Rizzo for at least a year, and much longer than that for Torres. For whatever reason, the Yankees refused to cut bait despite the evidence plainly laid out in front of them.

Yankees have no plans to pursue Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres reunions

Torres' hot and cold bat wasn't enough to justify the fact he led all AL second basemen in errors in 2023 and 2024 (among other unacceptable lapses). He never came close to matching his All-Star 2018-2019 peak, and the writing had been on the wall ever since 2020 when the team called him out for showing up to summer camp out of shape. But they stuck with him for another five years, all the while dangling trade rumors over his head and never pulling the trigger.

Rizzo's disappearing power and declining defense (likely as a result of a head injury suffered in late May of 2023) certainly cost the Yankees during the 2024 run. Not only did his shaky defense force Aaron Boone to make personnel changes, but he didn't log a single RBI in 10 playoff games. Rizzo was limited due to injuries, and missed two and a half months with a broken forearm last season. He returned in the beginning of September and proved he wasn't ready for full-time reps before suffering broken fingers on a hit by pitch. He missed the ALDS, and the Yankees stubbornly put him back in the starting lineup for the ALCS and World Series. His horrible showing against the Dodgers played a role in dooming New York.

Both veterans certainly contributed in several ways to the Yankees' success at various points, but they were never integral. They always felt replaceable, but Brian Cashman and the front office passed on countless upgrades over the years for reasons unknown.

The time has finally come, though, and the two will depart in free agency as the Yankees hopefully usher in a new era with a more athletic and capable roster around Aaron Judge (and Juan Soto?). Nonetheless, we just saw the end result thanks to a talent drop-off in the World Series, so these are the right decisions, even though they might seem difficult.