2023 was a year to forget if you were a New York Yankees fan. The Yankees struggled in 2023. They placed fourth in the American League East and only finished two games above 500 this past year at 82-80. The offseason is a perfect time for teams on the cusp of winning to get that difference-maker. The 2024 offseason was one that left fans feeling hopeful for the 2024 season.
The Yankees made plenty of moves this offseason to improve their roster. They started out the offseason with a bang, trading for three-time all-star and four-time silver slugger winner Juan Soto. Soto is 25 and already has six big league seasons under his belt. There is no doubt he will be a big piece to the Yankees becoming a World Series winner. Soto finished 2023 with a batting average of .275 while clubbing 35 home runs and driving 109 runs in. He was in contention for MVP but fell short of Braves’ superstar Ronald Acuña, Jr. The Yankees also received center fielder Trent Grisham in the deal who will be the fourth outfielder this year. While he isn’t starting, he will have an important role on the team.
One of the glaring weaknesses the Yankees had was starting pitching. They addressed this situation by signing star starting pitcher and former division rival, Marcus Stroman to a 2-year $37 million deal. Stroman says it was a dream to play for the Yankees as he was born in New York. Stroman will be slotted as the third pitcher in the Yankees rotation this year. Fans were split when the deal went down because Yankee fans didn’t love Stroman. I think with the season coming closer, fans are realizing why signing Stroman was the right choice.
The Yankees outfield in 2023 was super spotty. It was an outfield that once consisted of Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun, and Franchy Cordero. It definitely needed an upgrade so the Yankees did just that. Not only by bringing in Juan Soto to join Aaron Judge but, they traded for division rival and former Red Sox, Alex Verdugo. Verdugo hit .264 with 54 runs batted in and 13 home runs.
The Yankees begin their season in Houston with the Astros on March 28th. An injury to Gerrit Cole’s elbow will now cause him to miss some time. Nestor Cortes has been tabbed as the Yankees Opening Day starter this season. The Yankees have finally built a culture with this team. This team feels it has a deep playoff run in their bones. Hopefully, the Yankees will have ring #28 by next November.
