The New York Yankees have a pivotal free agency approaching in the upcoming season. With Juan Soto becoming a free agent, all eyes would be on his potential extension. Needless to say, the front office will have to make up financial space for him which could result into a domino effect.

Yankees have always been a money-oriented club, and they believe in buying superstars instead of grooming potential prospects. Hence, the Bombers’ aggressive pursuit of Juan Soto is just writing on the wall. But in the process of building a star-studded team, the Yanks will likely sacrifice their veteran first baseman before his contract runs out.

Yankees Unlikely To Exercise Team Option For Anthony Rizzo

After a strong start with the New York Yankees following his trade from the Cubs in 2021, Anthony Rizzo‘s offensive production has seen a downturn. While he had his moments, consistency and health were issues. However, this year, Rizzo has cracked his form wide open after recovering from a concussion injury. He is hitting .306 with six homers and .964 OPS in his last 19 games. Notably, Rizzo has a $17 million club option clause in his contract that runs out by the end of the season. And given Rizzo’s stronghold at first base, the Yanks would probably not think twice before exercising the club option. However, Juan Soto’s arrival has changed the dynamics.

Juan Soto’s extension will undoubtedly be New York Yankees priority this coming off-season. Those $17 million of Anthony Rizzo’s option deal hold larger value to Yanks. Hence, Rizzo seems most likely to lose his place to Soto, and this year could mark his final stint in the Bronx. In his short stint, Anthony Rizzo has been effective and equally impactful in the pinstripes. He played a huge role in prevailing Aaron Judge’s extension. However, unfortunately, the 35-year-old’s days in New York are numbered. With Rizzo, even Gleyber Torres is likely to be sacked. His contract will expire by the end of the year, thus making him a free agent. However, Torres’ inconsistencies in the recent couple of seasons have been vile, and in no scenario does the Yanks seem to allocate funds to him, especially in the wake of Soto’s extension.

Will Jasson Dominguez Replace Giancarlo Stanton?

Jasson Dominguez‘s return has been highly anticipated since he went down with a UCL tear injury in September 2023. He is currently on a rehab assignment with the Single-A minor league team and is likely to be available for reinstatement in July. However, Jasson will find it hard to break into the highly competitive roster upon return. Currently, Dominguez is playing as DH.

So, a particular presumption is that perhaps Jasson Dominguez can replace Giancarlo Stanton, the $33 million DH player of the Yankees. While Stanton is hot this year, his .191 average 2023 season cannot be disregarded. But at the same time, Stanton’s salary continues to be a big hurdle for the Yankees to consider benching him. Hence, Dominguez will likely have to wait until September for his due date when the roster expands.

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