Fallback Options Listed For Yankees, Red Sox & Blue Jays

Now that Juan Soto is off the board, signed to the richest contract in baseball history, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays need to go to their Plan Bs.

The following outline the wish lists on those fallback options for each of those teams that now have a $700 million vacancy:

New York Yankees

Sign Christian Walker, 1B
Sign Alex Bregman, 3B
Trade for Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF

The Yankees have big holes in their lineup at the corners on the infield that Soto actually wouldn't have been able to help them with. Now they can go try to spend that money on those two, in Walker and Bregman, while plugging an outfield hole with former MVP Cody Bellinger, who the Chicago Cubs have placed squarely on the trade market.

Boston Red Sox

Sign Corbin Burnes, SP
Sign Max Fried, SP
Trade for Nolan Arenado, 3B

The Red Sox are known to want "at least" one of Burnes of Fried, if not both, to head up their starting rotation. Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today also suggests that they could be eyeing a trade for 10-time Gold Glover Nolan Arenado at third, and then move Rafael Devers to first base, and trade youngster Triston Casas for other help around the roster.

Toronto Blue Jays

According to insider Buster Olney of ESPN, the first order of business for the Jays is to get their own star under contract for the future.

"You gotta call Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ASAP and make the deal you need to make" @Buster_ESPN joined #FirstUp this morning and shared what is next for the Blue Jays after missing out on Juan Soto.

Listen to Olney's full interview HERE: https://t.co/bE1Af2Y6oZ pic.twitter.com/gx4Fz7g7eC
— First Up (@FirstUp1050) December 9, 2024

No, he's not a Soto substitute, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the face of the franchise, for whatever that's worth over the last several disappointing seasons, and Olney says the Jays "gotta call Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ASAP and make the deal you need to make.

"They clearly were trying to make (Shohei) Ohtani the face of their franchise. It didn't work. They clearly were trying to make Soto the face of their franchise… It didn't work.

"The Blue Jays at some point have to pay somebody! They already have Vladdy there. They have to figure out what the blank check number is and get it done."

Is Guerrero content to be the 3rd choice in Toronto?

Free agent outfielder Anthony Santander and former Blue Jay Teoscar Hernandez are also on their radar.