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The New York Yankees enjoyed a successful campaign in 2024, winning the American League pennant and reaching the World Series in the lone season Juan Soto spent with them.
Former All-Star slugger Sean Casey reckons losing the outfielder doesn't necessarily mean the Yankees can no longer challenge for titles next year. He pointed out that the San Diego Padres didn't make the playoffs in 2023 with Juan Soto, even though they also had Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in their lineup.
Sean Casey, who played for over a decade in the major leagues, said on 'The Mayor's Office' podcast (From 14:43):
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"The biggest thing with Soto (is) he gives such good at-bats," he said on the show this Wednesday. "It made him better, but it made (Aaron) Judge better, too. Judge was getting pitched to, or Judge was able to see an incredible at-bat; what the guy has, what he's throwing, wear him down a little bit.
"But Juan Soto has also been on teams that didn't win," he continued. "When he went out to San Diego, they were out there, and he's on that same team. They didn't win with Machado and Tatis. I don't know if they even made the playoffs that one year."
Soto had spent a year and a half with the Padres before he joined the Yankees on a one-year deal for his final season before reaching free agency.
"You're not losing a ton": Sean Casey on the Yankees coping without Juan Soto
The New York Yankees have been quite active after missing out on Soto to their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets.
Since then, they have added lefty ace Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million deal, along with a trade move for elite closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers. Cody Bellinger was brought in from the Chicago Cubs earlier this week to add flexibility to the roster.
Sean Casey believes the Yankees are doing well to fill up the void left by Juan Soto.
"At the end of the day, if you get some production from Bellinger and you bring in one other bat, you're not losing a ton," Casey said.
Cody Bellinger won the National League MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, although his offensive output has declined considerably since then. Nevertheless, his defensive versatility makes the left-hander a valuable addition, as he can fill in capably at both center field and first base.
