As the Yankees turn the page and prepare for life beyond Juan Soto, Evan Roberts wonders if Brian Cashman and company should pivot to a completely new identity, even with sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the middle of the lineup.
For years - perhaps even most of their history - the Bronx Bombers have been known for their power, and that has certainly been the case in the Aaron Boone era, consistently finishing atop the league leaders in home runs since 2018. But Evan believes a pivot to pitching, particularly the starting rotation, would not only help New York in its new identity in 2025, but could also help increase the likelihood of making a big-splash acquisition to soften the blow of losing Soto.
More on that splash later, but first, remaking the Yankees identity starts with signing Max Fried.
“If you add Max Fried specifically to go along with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, to potentially go along with Clarke Schmidt - but you can very well trade him - I think you have an identity, and that’s a really, really good rotation,” Evan said. “That is a deep as hell MLB rotation.
“I was scared off by the contract, but you know what? You have money to spend. Why not make it the identity of the Yankees?”
Fried with Cole and Rodon, and Rookie of the Year winner Luis Gil, would make for a deep rotation, among the best the Yanks have had in recent memory, at least on paper. But the rotation, in Evan’s mind, would look different even after that, as he sees Fried as a stepping stone to an even bigger move.
“All of a sudden, Luis Gil, as good as he is, I can trade him. Clarke Schmidt, as good as he is, I can trade him,” Evan said. “There’s a guy on the marketplace right now, that if you go and get, I like to call Soto Jr. he’s not quite Juan Soto, but he’s damn close.”
That “Soto Jr.” is Kyle Tucker, who could be available for trade, and while his numbers aren’t Soto-esque, the 27-year-old has been an All-Star each of the past three seasons, and in his last full season, led the league with 112 RBI while hitting 29 home runs. His .993 OPS last year was a career high and just six points lower than Soto’s mark, though Tucker’s season was limited to just 78 games due to a shin fracture. But for his age and talent, Evan says Tucker would be worth giving up a massive haul for, and his lefty swing in the Bronx would be a dream.
“If the Houston Astros and Dana Brown are real in what he said,” Evan said. “That’s the guy.”