'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The New York Yankees are one of the richest teams in MLB history. The club has been home to some of the biggest stars of the sport like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Juan Soto. Currently, they have a $300 million payroll, which is also the third-highest in the league.
However, less prosperous times are ahead for the club, as owner Hal Streinbrenner has indicated at a possible payroll cut. In his latest interview, he addressed this possible change:
"I'm gonna be honest, payrolls at the levels we're at right now are simply not sustainable for us financially. It wouldn't be sustainable for the vast majority of ownership (groups), given the luxury tax we have to pay.''
Trending
Fans have been in shock at the development, as it could lead to parting ways with Soto, who has been phenomenal since he became a Yankee in December 2023 on a single-year contract worth $31 million.
Since arriving, the star has played around 52 games and has had 199 at-bats. At Bronx, he has a batting average of .312, along with an OPS of .972, and hit 13 home runs along with 41 RBIs.
Fans are happy with the star's extraordinary performances, as they have brought the team back to a dominant position in the division. Soto's contract will be over by 2025, and the Dominican Republic star will be a free agent.
However, it was rumored that the Yankees would need to offer a mega Ohtani-like deal, which many have predicted could be somewhere in the north of $500 million, to keep him from choosing free agency.
But if their payroll is cut short, as suggested by Hal, it will be problematic to maintain the squad the Yanks have and also offer a mega deal to tie Soto down with the club for a long time.
The Yankees might try to keep Soto beyond 2025, but for him to sign a long-term contract, they might have to let go of a couple of players to make room for a mega deal for him.
Let's take a look at the three possible names the Yankees could part ways with to keep Soto at the Yankees Stadium beyond this year.
#1 Giancarlo Stanton
Joining the club in 2018, the five-time All-Star slugger has been a crucial part of the club over the years. However, in the larger picture, Stantano has been going through a downfall since 2019, especially in the last couple of seasons, due to injuries.
Also, Stanton gets a large chunk of money from the Yankees. During his move from the Miami Marlins to the Yankees, both clubs reached an agreement that Marlins would pay the star $30 million each year from 2026 to 2028. The Yankees are paying him $218 million for the course of his contract, which is until the 2028 season, when his club option will be activated.
It means that the Yanks still need to pay the star a whopping $32 million for at least one more season before the Marlins come in and share this expense.
Considering that, Stanton is one of the stars the Bronx Bombers might find profitable to part ways with to make space for a new and long-term mega contract with Soto.
#2 Gleyber Torres
Torres has also been a part of the Yankees clubhouse since 2018. The two-time All-Star has been an important part of the team whenever called upon.
However since 2020, his form has been a little shaky. Moreover, he's out of contract next season. In January 2023 he signed a one-year $9.5 million contract.
In January 2024, to avoid salary arbitration, both parties mutually agreed that the player would get $14.2 million in his final season as a Yankee before he became a free agent.
Offering him a long-term contract would also require the Yankees to invest a hefty chunk of money. However, letting him part ways for free next season or trading him away by this trade deadline could be on the cards.
That's because it would make room for Soto's contract on the Yankees' books. Moreover, trading Torres now would bring in some cash they could re-invest on the ex-Padres star's long term contract in case of the hinted payroll cut.
#3 Anthony Rizzo
The veteran 1B Anthony Rizzo joined the club in 2021 from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash consideration.
In March 2022, the team re-signed him on a two-year $32 million contract with an opt-out after the first year. He exercised his opt-out at the end of the 2022 season. However, in November the same year, he signed another two-year $40 million contract with the Yanks, with an option for the 2025 season.
In May 2023, Rizzo suffered a neck injury after a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. against the Padres. However, after that, he had a series of poor performances. In September, skipper Aaron Boone shut him down for the remainder of the season after it emerged that he was suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
His contract will be over in 2025 unless he triggers the option clause. However, in case he doesn't, the Yankees could let him go, as it would help them instead of offering him another new and improved contract.
That's because parting ways with the former Cubs star would save them a good amount of money from their payroll to afford a big-money long-term contract for the 2019 World Series champion Soto.
