Here’s the latest Yankees free agency and trade buzz during the 2024-25 MLB offseason…
Dec. 4, 8:25 p.m.
While the Yankees are firmly ensconced in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, they are keeping tabs on the starting pitching market. In addition to speaking with Max Fried on a Zoom call this week, the Yanks have made contact with another potential top-of-the-rotation starter.
The New York Post’s Mike Puma reports New York spoke with right-hander Corbin Burnes last month, as well.
Burnes is coming off a stellar season with the Baltimore Orioles pitching to a 2.92 ERA and 3.55 FIP in 191.1 innings with 181 strikeouts and a 1.096 WHIP.
The now 30-year-old came to the AL East in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award pitching to a 2.43 ERA and 1.63 FIP.
On the meeting with Fried, Puma noted that nine team officials were on the call including GM Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake.
Dec. 4, 5:23 p.m.
The Yankees still like their chances of retaining Juan Soto, but if that doesn’t happen, it sounds like the club already has started discussing other ways to improve their offense.
According to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, signing shortstop Willy Adames is an option for the Yankees should they miss out on Soto.
If the Yankees were to sign Adames, they’d have a couple of different options in terms of reconfiguring their infield. Adames prefers to play shortstop, sources tell Feinsand, which means Anthony Volpe could get moved to second base. The Yanks could also decide to have Adames play third and keep Volpe at short, which would give Jazz Chisholm Jr. a permanent spot at second base.
Dec. 4, 4:15 p.m.
The Yankees are looking to bolster their starting rotation this offseason. After missing out on Blake Snell, the Yankees have met with free agent lefty Max Fried, according to Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay.
“The Yankees had a 90-minute Zoom call with Max Fried yesterday, and it supposedly went very well,” Kay said on his radio show Wednesday. “Somebody who’s on the Fried side said that Max really really liked them and apparently they’re going to have another meeting as well.”
Fried, who is entering his age-31 season, had a 3.25 ERA with the Braves in 2024. He had two complete games (one shoutout) and pitched to a 1.16 WHIP en route to his second career All-Star appearance.
Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.
The Yankees may be looking to bring back one of their free agent bullpen arms.
New York and right-hander Tommy Kahnle are said to be interested in a potential reunion, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post.
Kahnle was originally drafted by the organization in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. The Yanks traded for him after he spent the first two seasons of his career pitching for the Rockies and White Sox, and then he re-signed with the club following the 2022 season after a stint with the Dodgers.
Kahnle missed time with shoulder injuries each of the past two seasons but he was productive while healthy, pitching to a 2.38 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while striking out 94 batters across 92 appearances.
The Yankees will certainly be looking to add numerous relievers this offseason with only Luke Weaver, Ian Hamilton, and Jake Cousins remaining from their bullpen last season.
Nov. 26, 11:25 p.m.
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per multiple reports.
The deal is for five years at $182 million, pending a physical. There are reports some deferred money is in the deal and no opt outs are included.
Snell opted out of his two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants after an uneven first season in the Bay Area. After pitching to a 6.31 ERA in his first eight starts, and after a stint on the IL, Snell bounced back to be more on par with his 2023 Cy Young self. He had a 1.45 ERA, including pitching a no-hitter.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that the Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles were in on Snell before he signed with the Dodgers.
Nov. 22, 7:23 p.m.
The Yankees and right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler have “at least some mutual interest,” according to a report by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
“I’ve been told there is at least some mutual interest between Walker Buehler and the New York Yankees,” Morosi said on MLB Network. “And while that would be an amazing storyline, certainly it’s not unprecedented that you would see someone join the team that they vanquished in the World Series the previous year. … The New York Yankees, with some comings and goings in their rotation, they are looking for rotation help.”
Buehler, 30, pitched in Games 3 and 5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ late-October World Series win over the Yankees.
After allowing two hits while striking out five and walking two in five scoreless innings of an eventual 4-2 Game 3 win that put the Dodgers up 3-0 for the series, Buehler’s perfect Game 5 ninth inning two days later earned the save and sealed the series.
A two-time All-Star, Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular-season starts this past season. In the postseason — his first playoffs since 2021 — he was 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA over four games (three starts).
Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2022 and missed the 2023 season before avoiding arbitration for 2024 with the Dodgers on a one-year contract that was reportedly worth $8 million.
Nov. 14, 8:26 p.m.
While the Yankees try and re-sign Juan Soto, the team is also looking at other ways to improve this offseason, including potentially adding a top starter to the mix.
According to The Post’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees are “in on everyone” including Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, along with the top free-agent relievers.
How seriously the Yankees will pursue the likes of Snell and Burnes will depend on whether they get back Soto. If Soto goes elsewhere, the Yankees will have more money to spend on other pieces and will likely push for these top-flight arms more.
The Yankees were tied to Snell last offseason but could not agree on a contract. New York pivoted to Marcus Stroman and Snell eventually signed with the San Francisco Giants in mid-March.
The report also states that the Yankees like Alex Bregman and Willy Adames at third, but are not opposed to bringing back Gleyber Torres for second base. They are letting the infielder “look around” but could consider him later depending on what Torres finds in free agency.
Nov. 8, 1:10 p.m.
The Yankees are showing interest in right-hander Carlos Estevez, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
Morosi noted earlier this week that New York had been one of the more aggressive teams talking with the reps for numerous free agent relievers during the GM Meetings — and now Estevez is the first name to be revealed.
It certainly doesn’t comes as a surprise that the defending American League champs are looking into bullpen additions early on as they could lose Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Tim Hill to free agency this offseason.
Estevez is one of the top arms available and he certainly would be a nice addition coming off another strong season in which he pitched to a 2.45 ERA and 0.90 WHIP while closing out 26 games with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies.