The New York Yankees have not been able to fill the void left by Juan Soto with one player this offseason. However, a former MLB executive believes one specific player will be targeted to do just that for them in 2026.
There are big hopes again for the Yankees in 2025. In October, the Pinstripes were able to get back to the World Series. And in no small part to the outstanding regular and postseason play of superstar outfielder Juan Soto. However, the club was outbid for his services this winter by crosstown rivals the New York Mets.
The belief around baseball is the moves New York made this offseason made them a better team. But they are trying to replicate Soto’s 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 128 runs by committee. The 26-year-old was an MVP candidate in 2024 and is extremely difficult to find one player that can match those numbers.
However, on Wednesday, former Mets general manager Steve Phillips predicted that the Yankees will be able to get that player when he is expected to be available in free agency next offseason.
New York Yankees to replace Juan Soto’s numbers with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2026?
“I think [Vladimir Guerrero’s] going to be a Yankee,” Phillips said on MLB Network Radio [h/t Pinstripes Nation] this week. “I think that [Paul] Goldschmidt will be out after the year. [Pete] Alonso won’t opt out. And Vladdy’s going to be a Yankee. They’re going to give him slightly less than Soto money. And in the end, they’ll have Vladdy and [Aaron] Judge in the middle of the lineup instead of Soto and Judge.
“They’ll spend less money and still be a great team moving forward. Possibly the best in the American League for years.”
Recent reports have suggested that the Toronto Blue Jays star could get a deal well north of $400 million. If he has a season similar to last year again in 2025, that figure could quickly head to $500 million.