5 Yankees questions heading into the offseason

1. Will Juan Soto be back?

That, of course, is the offseason question, one that has been on the collective mind of Yankees fans pretty much from the time Juan Soto, who turned 26 during the World Series, showed up via trade last December. Though there was some smoke in May when managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said he was open to talking extension with Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, to make the outfielder a “Yankee for life,” that was never going to happen. Boras, with rare exceptions over the years, almost always takes his clients into free agency.

Throw in the very real possibility of a bidding war between the Yankees and Mets — which would mean the involvement of Steve Cohen’s sizable wallet — as well as the potential of some other big-market teams jumping in, and Boras would have self-revoked his agent card if he didn’t take advantage of that opportunity with a player he earlier in the season called a “Centurion.”

That sounds expensive and will be, likely to the tune of a total package in excess of $500 million and likely approaching, and perhaps surpassing, $600 million.

2. Will Gerrit Cole exercise his  opt-out clause?

Yes, probably, but that doesn’t mean the Yankees are in danger of losing their ace. In negotiating Cole’s nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 season, Boras was able to include an opt-out after the 2024 season, which would void the final four years and $144 million of the deal and allow Cole, if he so desired, to talk to other teams. But also included in the deal: The Yankees can void the opt-out by tacking on an additional year to the end of the contract for $36 million. And the latter is the likely outcome.

At this stage of his career, Cole, 34, probably isn’t interested in exploring the market. Even with his resume, bettering what he has left on his deal wouldn’t be guaranteed, and all indications are that he’s fully embraced and enjoyed everything that comes with being the ace of the Yankees, his childhood team.

3. Did Anthony Rizzo play his final game as a Yankee?

The first baseman made his preference clear after Wednesday night’s loss. “I don’t want to take this [uniform] off,” Rizzo said, gently tugging at his pinstriped jersey.

The Yankees hold a $17 million club option for Rizzo but also could choose to send him on his way with a $6 million buyout.

Rizzo is among the most respected players in the clubhouse — referring to him as Aaron Judge’s co-captain would be accurate — and he also happens to be one of Judge’s best friends on the team. But Rizzo is 35, has had his share of injuries in recent years and has shown overall signs of decline when he has been on the field.

One point in Rizzo’s favor? The Yankees don’t have anything close to a first-baseman-in-waiting in their system, nor do they have an everyday one on their big-league roster. They’d have to get one either via trade or free agency and, depending on what happens with Soto, that could be easier said than done. Still, though it’s far from a no-shot, Rizzo’s return would have to be considered a long shot as free agency begins. 

4. Which of the Yankees’ other free agents of note are likely to return?

There are plenty of other players who could have played their final game with the Yankees. Alex Verdugo, Clay Holmes, Gleyber Torres, Luke Weaver, Tommy Kahnle, Jonathan Loaisiga, Lou Trivino and Tim Hill also are free agents.

Weaver has a $2.5 million club option that is sure to be picked up. Trivino, recovering this season from Tommy John surgery, has a $5 million option that, while not as much a lock as Weaver’s to get picked up, falls in the category of slightly-better-than-50-50.

The rest are unrestricted free agents, with Verdugo, Loaisiga, who hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and Holmes likely to be playing elsewhere next season. In the case of Holmes, the Yankees generally don’t pay big money for relievers, and Holmes is sure to get far more than the Yankees would be willing to commit. Hill and Kahnle are possibilities to return if they come cheap.

As for Torres, although he performed well down the stretch and in the postseason and very much wants to remain with the franchise, the Yankees seem inclined to move on.

5. Will Aaron Boone return for an eighth season as manager?

The short answer: yes. The Yankees hold a club option on Boone for next season that they are certain to exercise. And despite some breathless speculation during the playoffs, that was a virtual lock regardless of how the postseason played out.

Boone, though not manager-for-life, has been everything team hierarchy wanted in a manager when he was hired to replace Joe Girardi after the 2017 season with no previous coaching or managing experience.

Higher-ups wanted a friendlier face and messenger in public, as well as a manager 100% on board with the franchise’s direction when it came to the use of analytics in virtually every decision, with pushback kept to a minimum. Additionally, the manager needed to take all of the criticism publicly when some of those decisions backfired (the disastrous Deivi Garcia-J.A. Happ call by the organization for Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS immediately comes to mind as one example).

Boone also was hired because it was believed he could build strong relationships with players, something that became evident from his first days on the job. Those bonds have only gotten stronger over time, with Judge in particular, but Boone has built those bonds with many other players, too.

It is easy to blame Boone for the continuous fundamental lapses in the field and on the bases that show up regularly, but it’s been years since those things have been prioritized organizationally, and that doesn’t fall solely on Boone. Far from it.