When the New York Mets signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in sports history, they took away a powerful offensive weapon from the New York Yankees that will be hard to replace. Soto posted a 7.9 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), ranking sixth in MLB, along with a .989 OPS (second-best) and 41 home runs (third-best).
The Yankees’ response to Soto’s departure has been lackluster, with a primary focus on strengthening their pitching staff. On offense, their most notable move has been acquiring outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. Last season, Bellinger posted a 2.2 WAR, a .751 OPS, and 18 home runs, which is far from Soto’s production.
To address the gap left by Soto’s departure and bring in another All-Star-caliber player, a well-known Yankees podcast is now recommending the team trade for a player who led MLB in WAR during his last fully healthy season.
Yankees Urged to Target Twins Shortstop
Carlos Correa’s 7.2 WAR in 2021 was impressive, but in 2024, the Minnesota Twins shortstop was having one of his best seasons yet, according to Twins Daily, before a heel injury sidelined him on July 13. The injury turned out to be plantar fasciitis, a painful foot condition. Despite the setback, Correa returned on September 14 and played 11 more games, hitting .325 with 13 hits in 40 at-bats.
Seeing Correa back on track, Ryan Garcia and Alex Wilson, co-hosts of the Fireside Yankees podcast, recently urged the Yankees to trade for him. “We want Carlos Correa. If the Twins are at least listening to offers, that means they’re not off the table,” Garcia said during a December 26 episode. “This guy’s a monster in the playoffs, he’s a monster in the regular season.”
Wilson added, “You’ve punched your ticket to the World Series with a move like that. If they get Carlos Correa, the Yankees would have such a balanced lineup. They would walk away a better team.”
On their X (formerly Twitter) account, they acknowledged the financial and prospect costs of such a move but emphasized that acquiring Correa would firmly establish the Yankees as legitimate World Series contenders.
Correa Still a Villain in New York Over Astros Scandal
In 2024, the Minnesota Twins had a total payroll of $129,080,051, ranking 19th in MLB. Carlos Correa, with just two years into a six-year, $200 million contract, accounted for 26% of that payroll. If the Twins intend to keep their payroll in the low-to-midrange, offloading Correa’s salary could become a priority for them.
However, not all Yankees fans and analysts support the idea of bringing Correa to New York. The main issue for many stems from Correa’s alleged involvement in the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal, during which the Astros beat the Yankees 4-3 in the American League Championship Series and eventually won the World Series. Many Yankees fans and some players still harbor resentment over the scandal.
As Bleeding Yankee Blue put it, “Correa isn’t just expensive—he’s four years, $200 million expensive. That’s the kind of money you drop on an MVP bat, not a guy who might spend his first month in pinstripes dodging boos louder than the subway at rush hour. Sure, he’s talented, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
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