Yankees Would Land Projected $154M Batting Champ in Blockbuster Trade Idea
The New York Yankees have adjusted to life without Juan Soto quite well. General manager Brian Cashman has acquired Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt since losing the 26-year-old to the New York Mets. Will the Bombers’ next target be San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arráez?
Signing Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million deal fills a hole at first base for the Yankees, but there’s more work to be done on the infield. Second baseman Gleyber Torres is a free agent and seems unlikely to return to the Bronx. Cashman’s options include acquiring a second baseman or finding someone to play third base (like Alex Bregman) and shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base.
Just Baseball’s Harrison Bruns named the Yankees as one of the four best trade destinations for Arráez.
“I particularly like the fit of Arráez in the Bronx because of what he can provide hitting in front of (Aaron) Judge,” Bruns wrote. “Last season, the Yankees had Soto to hit in front of Judge. That is going to be impossible to replace. However, a player who is always a threat to win the batting title is a good place to start.”
Arráez is a two-time Silver Slugger winner who has won a batting title each of the last three years with three different teams. He hit .316 in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins before hitting .354 in 2023 with the Miami Marlins. The three-time All-Star split 2024 with the Marlins and Padres while hitting a combined .314.
He’s estimated to earn $13.7 million in 2025, his final year of arbitration. Spotrac has pegged his market value for a long-term deal at nine years and $154 million.
READ MORE: Yankees horrific Paul Goldschmidt lineup proves just how much they’ll miss Juan Soto
The New York Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt on Saturday after missing out on the likes of Christian Walker, who would have made a more powerful impact on the lineup. The Yankees lost Juan Soto, a Hall-of-Fame caliber player, and that is not an easy bat to replace.
Soto signed a 16-year, $765 million contract with the crosstown rival New York Mets. The Yankees fell just short to Steve Cohen’s singular goal of adding Soto to the middle of the Mets lineup. For the Yankees, the step now is to rebuild the lineup without one of their stars. That is easier said than done.
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Yankees lineup after losing Juan Soto is coming together, and it’s not great
New York’s first couple of moves in post-Soto roster construction involved the pitching staff, as they signed Max Fried and traded for Devin Williams. Further deals for Cody Bellinger and now signing Goldschmidt have showcased what a lineup would look like without Soto, and it’s not what Yankees fans grew accustomed to in 2024.
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