The New York Yankees are working hard to get outfielder Juan Soto to sign a lucrative contract again. However, after turning down Anthony Rizzo’s 2025 club option, general manager Brian Cashman must now cover a first base void. Could Yandy Díaz, a first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays, be the Bombers’ answer?
In 2024, that portion of the diamond was practically a black hole for New York. FanGraphs shows that the collective value of five players at first base was -1.1 WAR. The Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Houston Astros were the only three clubs that were worse.
After recording a.932 OPS and taking home the Silver Slugger Award in 2023, Díaz’s 2024 performance took a tiny turn for the worse, but the Yankees would still greatly benefit from having him. In 621 plate appearances, he slashed.281/.341/.414 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI for the Rays.
In the American League East, would Tampa Bay be willing to trade Díaz? If the price is correct, it’s probably feasible. Jim Bowden of The Athletic talked about what New York could provide to accomplish a goal.
“In return, the Rays might be able to land two prospects such as speedy center fielder Brando Mayea and righty Zach Messinger, who could develop into a back-of-the-rotation starter,” Bowden stated.
The Yankees would have a cost-effective, multi-year first base option if they were to acquire Díaz. He will get $10 million the next season when he enters the last guaranteed season of a three-year, $24 million contract in 2025. Additionally, a $12 million club option is in place for the right-handed hitter’s age-34 campaign in 2026.
Max Fried and the New York Yankees Hold a “Very Productive” Zoom Meeting
One of the best available free-agent pitchers called the New York Yankees on Tuesday. On his ESPN talk show on Wednesday, Michael Kay provided some insight into the Bronx Bombers’ free-agent chase of Max Fried. This winter, the lefty is among the top starters available to all 30 teams. According to insiders, the pitcher’s meeting with the Yankees went well.
“The Yankees held a 90-minute Zoom call with Max Fried yesterday, which reportedly went very well,” Kay shared. “A source close to Fried mentioned that Max was very impressed with them, and it seems another meeting is already being planned,” he added.
Fried has been with the Atlanta Braves for all eight of his Major League Baseball career. In 2024, the southpaw made 29 starts and finished 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA. He pitched 174.1 innings and struck out 166 batters.
For the past five years, Fried has been a reliable starter. In addition to becoming a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner during that time, he received Cy Young votes in 2020 and 2022. Additionally, since 2019, the starter has had at least 2.6 wins over replacement in each of the previous years.
Jack Flaherty and Corbin Burnes join Fried as the top free-agent starters available. The first well-known pitcher to sign was Blake Snell, who received a $182 million deal. Fried might not get the same amount out of his contract, but his future team is likely to offer the pitcher a nine-figure deal.
