It might be counterintuitive, but it seems realistic.
If the New York Yankees give Juan Soto the richest contract in Major League Baseball history, they might feel the need to cut salary elsewhere on their roster.
As of Tuesday night, The Athletic reported that all teams still involved in the sweepstakes for the star slugger had bids to his agent, Scott Boras, that were worth more than $600 million. Earlier that day, at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ introductory news conference for starting pitcher Blake Snell, Boras told reporters that Soto had started the process of eliminating teams from contention for his services. Wednesday, things seemed quiet.
A decision seems imminent. The Yankees are among the teams still in play for the 26-year-old outfielder.
Though the Yankees want Soto, owner Hal Steinbrenner has spoken about his desire to exercise some payroll restraint many times throughout the years. Last season, the Yankees’ competitive balance tax payroll was at $312.9 million, according to Spotrac, the third highest in the majors, behind the New York Mets ($348.6 million) and Dodgers ($339.5 million).
“Year after year after year after year, payroll is similar to this year and the luxury taxes, like others, are not sustainable and not feasible,” Steinbrenner said at the owners’ meetings in November. “That’s the case for the vast majority of owners and maybe all the owners year after year after year.”
So even if the Yankees re-sign Soto, it’s reasonable to think there could be a cut in overall payroll. Here are three players whose salaries could be moved to create space.
Marcus Stroman, RHP
Contract: $18 million in 2025 with an $18 million player option for 2026 if he pitches 140 innings in 2025.
Stroman would appear to be the odd man out of the Yankees’ rotation heading into next season, with a caveat: It’s still early in the offseason, and anything can happen.
Stroman seems to be behind ace Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt. The Yankees also have prospects Will Warren and Clayton Beeter and veteran J.T. Brubaker potentially competing for starts. Stroman’s salary would be a lot to pay an innings-eater out of the bullpen, and the Yankees might prefer to upgrade at the slot anyway. Last season, Stroman was solid in the first half but finished with a 4.31 ERA in 29 starts (30 games) and wasn’t called upon in the postseason.
The Yankees have traded players for salary relief by attaching prospects to them. In 2021, the Yankees traded reliever Adam Ottavino to the Boston Red Sox, who paid a little more than $7 million remaining on his $8 million salary. The Yankees also sent pitching prospect Frank German to Boston in the deal.
Nestor Cortes, LHP
Contract: $7.7 million in 2025; will be a free agent after the season.
The Yankees love Cortes, as they should. He brings toughness and pitchability from the left side. But considering he’ll enter free agency next winter, they might be tempted to explore the trade market for him. A potential issue: Cortes missed most of the playoffs with a left elbow flexor strain. But he pitched in the World Series and seemed healthy, and he might have been a non-tender candidate if the Yankees were worried about his elbow going into 2025.
Cortes was dangled in the trade market at the deadline this year, too.
Trent Grisham, CF
Contract: $5 million with up to $250,000 in incentives in 2025; will be a free agent after the season.
Grisham didn’t see the field once in the playoffs, and despite being healthy, he received just a hard-to-believe 209 plate appearances in the regular season last year, resulting in only 34 hits (.190 batting average).
Grisham handled the lack of playing time like a professional, and he could be a valuable fourth outfielder for the Yankees next season. If anything, he’s excellent insurance from a defensive standpoint. Grisham has won two Gold Gloves. Would another team give him a chance to win a starting job?
(Photo of Marcus Stroman: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
