3 free agents the New York Yankees should sign, 2 to avoid

After a heartbreaking World Series run, the New York Yankees are looking to add some firepower and win it all next season. Priority number one has been Juan Soto.

Soto is coming off a season where he had a prolific impact on a team that had missed the postseason in 2023. As the crowning jewel of this free agent class, Soto will undoubtedly cost Hal Steinbrenner a fortune. So as expected, the Yankees are scouring both the trade and free agent markets for cheap deals.

Since Soto is their top target and makes perfect sense for the team, anything I say on why the Yankees should pursue him would be redundant. So today, we’ll be more focused on pieces the Yankees can add while still pursuing Soto.

There is no guarantee that Soto will land in the Bronx. But regardless if they nab Soto or not, here are some relatively inexpensive options the Yankees can sign that might be ideal no matter what happens along with some inexpensive options they should be wary of. But just in case, I made a short ‘honorable mentions’ list the Yankees should devote some cash to if Soto does not come back.

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The Yankees should sign:

3. Hyeseong Kim

Hyeseong Kim (not to be confused with Ha Seong Kim of the Padres, now a free agent as well) is regarded as one of, if not, the top defender in Korea. Kim has won the past three KBO Golden Gloves with the winners in 2024 yet to be announced. This would be a welcome move for the Yankees since their defense this past season left a lot to be desired.

Adding to Kim’s KBO success is his masterful offense. Kim has posted batting averages over .300 and OBPs over .370 for the past four seasons. He posted his best of each in 2023 with a .335 average and a .396 OBP. However, Kim isn’t known for his power. In 2024, he slashed .326/.383/.458/.841 with a career-high 11 home runs, but if there’s one thing in his favor, it’s the blend of his left-hand bat and the short right porch.

Kim is also known for his speed. In 2021, the fleet-footed infielder (has spent time in left field as well) stole 46 bases in 50 attempts, a shocking 92 percent success rate. This past season, he was 30-6. Every year since he became a full-time player in 2018, he has stolen 20+ plus bases and has never been caught more than eight times. His stolen base record stands at a staggering 211-37.

There isn’t any way of telling how the MLB will impact his stellar numbers, but if he can manage an OBP of .350 or more and steal bases at his usual rate, he can be a real game-changer for the Bronx Bombers. With his frequently on-base and speedy profile, he might make an excellent lead-off hitter, something the Yankees don’t currently have (with the possible exception of Anthony Volpe).

2. Christian Walker

Right now, it seems the Yankees are very likely to sign Christian Walker. Walker is a top defender at first, has 30+ home run potential, and most importantly, won’t break the bank.

The Yankees see Walker as the best bang for their buck type of bargain. In 2024, Walker slashed .251/.335/.468/.803 with 26 home runs in 479 at-bats during an injury-hampered season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The prior two years saw Walker hit 36 and 33 home runs in succession. Defensively, Walker is the best at first base having nabbed three Gold Gloves in a row.

Walker is not a stolen base threat, but an interesting fact to note is that Walker was 11-0 in stolen base attempts in 2023. Having scored 103 RBIs in 2023 and, he would make a great improvement to the middle of the Yankees’ order. Walker is entering his age-34 season, so a short-term contract for anywhere from three to five years would be ideal. Walker is expected to earn $20 million per year.

1. Walker Buehler

Walker Buehler is not one of the top names on the market but he could still be the top arm. Brian Cashman has already picked up on this tidbit of useful information and has seemingly joined the pursuit.

The past three years have not been kind to Buehler. Since 2022, the once acclaimed starter has only thrown 140.1 regular season innings. This includes missing all of 2023. In those innings through his injury-riddled years, Buehler put up an unsatisfactory 4.75 ERA. But the year before his rough patch, he posted a career-best 2.47 ERA.

However, ignoring his regular season struggles, his postseason success is awe-striking. He owns a 3.04 ERA through 94.2 postseason innings, this includes an astounding 0.47 ERA in 19 innings across four World Series games (3 starts, 1 save). But what about recently? That brings us back to his latest postseason heroics. 

Buehler was roughed up by the Padres in the second inning of the 2024 NLDS when he gave up six earned runs, but that would be his only bad inning in that postseason. Buehler put up zeroes in his starts against the Mets and the Yankees, then closed out the World Series on the American League champs. Having witnessed Buehler’s postseason excellence firsthand, there isn’t any doubt to why the Yankees want him. This winter, Buehler could be the unexpected prize of the offseason.

Honorable mentions if Juan Soto leaves Yankees: Pete Alonso, Anthony Santander, Corbin Burnes, Teoscar Hernandez, Willy Adames  

The Yankees should avoid:

2. Luis Severino

Luis Severino’s final season in pinstripes didn’t go very well and the injuries that occurred in the season’s prior often prevented him from taking his spot on the mound. But after just one year since leaving the Bronx, he appears to have bounced back. Sevy posted a 3.91 ERA through 182 innings.

After the many pitching problems the Yankees dealt with this past season, an inexpensive arm is among the top non-Soto items on the Yankees’ wish list. Should they whiff on Buehler, the Yankees will need to dive a bit deeper into the tiers of inexpensive free agent pitchers. And when they come across his name, there are a few reasons to skip over Severino.

For one, Sevy’s 3.91 ERA, while better than 2023’s 6.65, isn’t a glowing beacon of pitching dominance. His numbers this year are still a far cry from the numbers he posted as a young Yankee. His overall postseason numbers are also not desirable. Sevy owns a 4.62 postseason ERA. But before we dismiss Severino as a ‘must avoid’ altogether, it’s only fair to note he still can hurl. This past postseason, we got a glimpse at vintage Severino. Through 16.2 innings, Sevy threw to a 3.24 ERA.

Severino still throws some electric stuff, but he hasn’t produced at an elite level. If he gave up on his sinker and changeup (the two pitches that produced most of his problems) while flashing his cutter more often, he would probably be a solid pitcher once more. But for now, he isn’t the risk a postseason bound team with pitching problems should take.

1. Yoan Moncada

One Gleyber Torres replacement the Yankees have shown interest is Yoan Moncada. If signed, Moncada would take over at third base giving Jazz Chisholm Jr. his primary position at second base back to him.

Moncada has been frequently on the IL for the past three years only visiting the plate 45 times in 2024. In 2023, Moncada hit .260 with 11 home runs through 334 at-bats. Overall, he maintains a career batting average of .254. But what makes him buzzworthy is his stellar performance from 2019. That year, Moncada hit .315 with 25 home runs. However, that was the only season his home run total eclipsed 17 as well as the only time his batting average topped .263. Another reason the Yankees are intrigued with him is his left-handed swing. Adding a left-handed bat is always intriguing when your stadium features a short-right porch.

Given his track record, pursuing Moncada is more of a thrifty endeavor. In signing Moncada, Cashman would hope to revive his 2019 performance while spending as little money as possible. Unfortunately, Moncada is far removed from 2019. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have another good season in him as that is a distinct possibility, but his performance throughout his career is highly questionable.

Moncada represents a low-risk high-reward option. He will come cheap and he has high-upside potential, but that potential is doubtful. If the Yankees sign him, it should be as a backup infielder or that low-risk scenario might become a high-risk scenario if the Yankees can’t come up with another more reliable infield option. For now, the Yankees need to perceive his one great year as a flash in the pan and proceed cautiously.