After the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees missed out on signing Juan Soto, the latter team recovered from the loss much faster.
Granted, the Yankees actually lost something when Soto signed the richest contract in sports history with the Mets. He slashed .288/.419/.569 with a .988 OPS and a career-high 41 homers in New York's lineup in 2024, and he and Aaron Judge were an RBI machine back-to-back.
The Yankees responded to Soto's departure by signing Max Fried, a Red Sox free agent target, to a record-breaking eight-year deal for a lefty pitcher. They signed Paul Goldschmidt and traded for Cody Bellinger to take Anthony Rizzo's place at first base and Devin Williams to close games after Clay Holmes' rough 2024 season.
In the immediate wake of losing out on Soto, Boston traded for Garrett Crochet and signed Walker Buehler — those are great moves for the Red Sox that needed pitching reinforcements, but they do not match up with the Yankees' acquisitions. After the Orioles lost out on Corbin Burnes and the Blue Jays missed, well, everybody, New York's offseason reigned as the best in the American League East, even after whiffing on Soto.
Red Sox's offseason rivals Yankees' after signing Alex Bregman
But after signing Alex Bregman, the Red Sox's additions may rival the Yankees' (subscription required). Bregman fits Boston's need for a righty bat and improved middle infield defense, and it got him for a shorter, more flexible deal than anyone anticipated he'd sign at the beginning of the offseason.
Bregman lifts Boston's infield to one of the best in the AL East. He's fresh off a Gold Glove-winning season with Houston, has two World Series and six seasons of playoff experience under his belt, and his career numbers at Fenway Park are insane (.375/.490/.750 slash line, 1.240 OPS over 21 career appearances). Bregman, Trevor Story, Triston Casas and Rafael Devers are a dangerous foursome at the plate.
With some hefty offseason acquisitions, how do the @RedSox stack up in the AL East come #OpeningDay? pic.twitter.com/QDDz0y5VmE
— MLB (@MLB) February 13, 2025
New York's infield doesn't look nearly as strong in comparison. Goldschmidt and Bellinger posted down seasons in 2024, Anthony Volpe's bat hasn't adjusted to the major leagues and DJ LeMaheiu has slowed significantly on all sides of the ball.
The Yankees are also dealing with some drama with their pitching staff. After acquiring Fried, New York needs to move someone from its rotation to accommodate him, and the best choice is Marcus Stroman. The veteran, however, has attested that he will not pitch out of the bullpen, which could force the Yankees into trading him or keeping a disgruntled Stroman in the 'pen.
It took the Red Sox months (actually, more like years) to catch up with the Yankees' offseason, but their waiting game paid off in spades. Boston got Bregman on the short deal it hoped for and used its long-dormant big-market spending capabilities to get it done. The Red Sox's offseason additions could put them back where they belong among the best teams in baseball, and the Yankees weren't banking on that earlier this winter.