Around the Empire: Yankees news

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: In what amounted to a no-brainer, the Yankees extended the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to Juan Soto, guaranteeing themselves a compensatory draft pick should the four-time All-Star sign elsewhere this offseason. GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that he considered issuing the offer to Gleyber Torres as well but opted not to do so, increasing the likelihood that the veteran second baseman will find a new home in free agency.

Newsday | David Lennon: ($) Gerrit Cole’s decision to reverse course and agree to the original terms of the contract he initially opted out of was a feather in the cap of Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman and yet another defeat for Cole’s representation, super-agent Scott Boras. By convincing Cole to stay on the previous terms, Cashman avoided adding an extra, costly year to the veteran’s contract for his age-38 season but also circumvented a free agent bidding war for the 2023 AL Cy Young that could have complicated the club’s pursuit of Soto.

Audacy | Ryan Chichester: Speaking at the annual GM meetings Tuesday, Cashman acknowledged the Yankees played poorly in the World Series but pushed back on the notion that the team was not built for October or lucky to reach the Fall Classic. Responding specifically to Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly, who took delight in gloating about the Yankees’ miscues in the World Series, Cashman dismissed his barbs as “more personal than anything else.”

Fangraphs | Ben Clemens: FanGraphs has released its ranking of the top 50 free agents this offseason along with contract projections. Unsurprisingly, Soto comes in at number one, with Clemens predicting he’ll get 12 years at $576 million. Other Yankees ranked include Cole (5), Torres (10), and Clay Holmes (28).

NorthJersey.com | Pete Caldera: Caldera weighs the pros and cons of re-signing each of the Yankees’ nine free agents. In addition to Soto, the team’s bevy of relievers coming off the books, including Holmes, Tim Hill, Tommy Kahnle, Jonathan Loáisiga, and Lou Trivino, could be the most fruitful group to add from as the Yankees will need to rebuild their relief corps behind incumbent closer Luke Weaver. On the position player side, Torres, Alex Verdugo, and Anthony Rizzo are all unlikely to return.

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