The New York Yankees once again fell short in their goal to capture the franchise's 28th World Series title. After falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games during last year's Fall Classic, the Yankees didn't even make it that far this postseason. Despite outlasting their most hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in this October's AL Wild Card series, New York fell to another division rival, the Toronto Blue Jays, in the AL Division Series.
The Yankees' offense was clearly different without the presence of superstar Juan Soto in the lineup. While outfielder Cody Bellinger did an admirable job in trying to replace Soto, the Bronx Bombers became more one-dimensional without the generational star. Now, as New York looks to improve the team as a whole, there are several routes that general manager Brian Cashman and the Bombers' front office could take.
While another star outfielder, Kyle Tucker, leads this year's free agent class, he will have plenty of suitors in addition to the Yankees. Tucker would likely be the closest thing New York could get to Soto. However, there are quite a few avenues that Cashman and New York's brass could take. One such avenue? Poaching slugging first baseman Pete Alonso from the crosstown rival Mets one year after the inhabitants of Citi Field swiped Soto from right under the Yanks' noses.
Yankees need to improve their roster by any means necessary
While the Yankees return Ben Rice at first base, it's possible that the young gun won't be able to take over the starting role permanently. Austin Wells regressed at the number one catcher last season, and Rice spent an increasing amount of time as the backstop as 2025 progressed. If Wells continues to show a drop off in form next year, that could be very problematic for New York. Being able to play Rice more there could be a boon.
Furthermore, the goal for the Yankees is to win championships. That is a goal they have failed to accomplish since 2009. A franchise hunting its MLB-record 28th World Series title, Cashman and the New York brass need to do all they can to improve the roster. If New York's leadership strikes out on top free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker, they need to pivot to Alonso.
The stud first baseman has proven that he can handle the bright lights of New York. While the pressure is likely greater in the Bronx, Alonso has shown he can handle playing in the biggest media market in the world. Furthermore, inking one of baseball's best power hitters and allowing him to call Yankee Stadium home will certainly boost the Bombers' odds at title number 28 in 2026.
There's no doubt that Alonso would be an expensive addition. After all, he just opted out of making $24 million next year to hit the free agent market once again. Likely, he won't need to wait as long as last offseason for a new deal. If the Yankees are serious about adding Alonso to one of baseball's best lineups, a six-year, $190 million deal that pays him almost $32 million a season could very well bring him to the Bronx for the foreseeable future. A batting order that could feature Judge and Alonso hitting back-to-back for the next few seasons? There are plenty of Bombers fans who'd love to see that moving forward.
