Who's next for New York?

With the Juan Soto dynasty officially beginning in New York, it’s time for the Yankees front office to make moves to bolster other holes on the field. And yes, there are holes, too many for Soto to fill, as large as he is. So, who do the Yankees target next; A reliever to make up for Michael King? Another strong bat to further bolster the offense? Or maybe it’s a coach, meant to replenish the minds in the ballclub,  which the Yankees have already gone out and obtained two of; A new batting coach in James Rowson and new bench coach in Brad Ausmus. Player-wise, whoever it is, I of course have an opinion on what the Yankees should do next. Here are three of my favorite free agents the Yankees could potentially snag from the market.

Position Pick: Jung-Hoo Lee

This guy is fun for so many reasons. For starters, his nickname is Grandson of the Wind. Why? His father is a legendary former KBO player whose nickname was, you guessed it, son of the wind. But nicknames don’t win ball games, and Lee knows that. Not only is he a great glove, but his bat is also well above the average of the competition in the KBO, which is no joking matter. He was the league ROTY in 2017 and MVP in 2022, and holds a career slash line of 340/.407/.491, enticing numbers for any club looking to get bats on the ball.

Pitching Pick: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Because duh. Well, that’s not enough of a reason and that’s fair. Yes, the Yankees have Gerrit Cole, but that’s about it for now. I love Nestor to death but after two rotator cuff injuries it’s hard to see him providing the innings the Yankees need from a starter. He has a career ERA of 1.82 with over 900 strikeouts, and he’s only 25 years old. This would be the kind of 1-2 combo the Yankees need to get through those tough, must-win series down the stretch of the season.

Honorable Mention: Jordan Hicks

I am a huge fan of Hicks and seeing him thrive in a Yankees uniform late in a game is a thought that excites me. Naturally, he’s already on a lot of club’s radars, and rightfully so. Between time in both St. Louis and Toronto, he recorded 81 Ks over 65.2 IP, and considering the Yankees have Clay Holmes set to relieve this year(as long as he stays healthy), Hicks would be the perfect set-up man. He’s 27 years old, consistently throwing in triple-digits, and would take some stress off an injury-prone bullpen.

No matter what, as this off-season chugs along, I have high hopes fans of the pinstripes will have more players to get excited about. Whether it’s an international phenom or a veteran reliever, I am loving every second of this free agency.