Yankees rumored free agency 'Plan B' if Juan Soto leaves may be the last straw

The New York Yankees just lost the 2024 World Series in gutting fashion — the only way they know how to. And now the reckoning is coming, with countless key players set to hit free agency in a few days.

Juan Soto is the marquee name, followed by Gleyber Torres and a bunch of bullpen arms. If they lose Soto, 2025 is already off to the worst possible start. If they lose Soto and fail to address his vacancy properly, they could set themselves back another 5-10 years. If they lose Soto and do nothing? Might as well start a full blown rebuild.

There's already been some buzz surrounding the Yankees' offseason plans. Granted, nothing has come into focus and we don't know what's true, but the early returns are frightening.

This lineup needs power, yes. This lineup needs more contact. This defense needs ... a total overhaul. They need better athletes, baserunners and players with natural instinct. So when we hear that Mets first baseman Pete Alonso could be the Yankees' "Plan B" in free agency if they lose Soto, fans really want to take a long walk off a short pier.

In no way does Alonso shift this team's outlook in 2025 with Soto out of the picture. "Alonso plus pitching stars" really doesn't do anything, per New York Post insider Jon Heyman's report.

Yankees Rumors: Pete Alonso potential "Plan B" if NYY loses Juan Soto

The Yankees lost this season — and have fallen short in previous seasons — because of their reliance on a boom-or-bust approach coupled with lackluster defense, inferior feel for the game, a disregard for fundamentals, and not enough athleticism. It's no longer a debate. It is what has plagued this current championship window.

Alonso might be one of the most prolific power hitters in the game, but he plays poor defense and strikes out 23% of the time while offering no speed. The Yankees had their chance to overpay for a first baseman in 2021 when they bypassed Freddie Freeman and settled for Anthony Rizzo. Diving back into the first base market to acquire an inferior option at a potentially higher price? Absolutely not.

If there's any consolation prize to Soto, it's adding somebody like Max Fried or Corbin Burnes alongside Alex Bregman, who plays excellent defense, doesn't strike out, delivers in the clutch and can hit for contact and power.

Many Yankees fans will still maintain it's Soto or bust. He was the missing piece this year in every way imaginable, and if the front office doesn't see that or isn't willing to pay, then they'll be further behind the rest of the league for years to come.