The New York Yankees would surely love to re-sign Juan Soto during the upcoming MLB offseason. Soto, who will be a free agent, has played a pivotal role in New York's playoff run. The Yankees are expected to face serious competition in their expected Soto free agency pursuit, though. Will the Yankees consider shifting their focus to Pete Alonso, who will also be a free agent, if Soto departs this offseason?
Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently wrote that an Alonso pursuit will be a “backup plan” in free agency. Heyman also mentions that the ball club could pursue “pitching stars” as well.
There is a realistic chance of Juan Soto and Pete Alonso switching New York teams this offseason. The Mets have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Soto, while the Yankees are now being linked to Alonso. However, the Yankees' primary focus is still expected to be on re-signing Soto.
The 26-year-old is one of the best players in the entire sport. There were questions about how he would perform in New York with the Yankees, but he immediately shut down any concerns with a strong 2024 season. Soto slashed .288/.419/.569/.989 across 157 games played during the 2024 campaign. He added 41 home runs, 109 RBI and 31 doubles.
Soto has enjoyed a number of big moments in the postseason as well. Yankees fans have made it clear that they want the team to re-sign the slugger. All reports seem to indicate that the Yankees feel the same way.
With that being said, every single team in MLB would love nothing more than to add a 26-year-old who is arguably the best all-around hitter in baseball. Some teams will not pursue him for financial reasons, but Soto is going to receive no shortage of interest in MLB free agency.
Signing Alonso would still benefit the Yankees. He is one of the best right-handed power hitters in baseball. Alonso does not offer the same all-around offensive prowess as Soto, though.