Yankees are landing spot for Giants star slugger in free agency, per insider

Kevin Hickey

Yankees are landing spot for Giants star slugger in free agency, per insider image

The upcoming offseason for the New York Yankees will be dictated by the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but there are other names hitting the market.

While the Soto sweepstakes will be the main focus, the Yankees will need to address other areas on the roster including the bullpen and third base.

With the potential for Gleyber Torres to find a new home in free agency, the Yankees would shift Jazz Chisholm to second base to fill the void most likely. That leaves a pretty big hole at the hot corner.

One of the biggest names to hit the market at the position is Matt Chapman of the San Francisco Giants. He's expected to opt out of his current deal ($17 million AAV) for a better one.

The Yankees were named among the potential landing spots to sign Chapman if he does opt out, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

"...the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees. They should all at least be making calls this winter," Passan wrote.

Re-signing Soto is the top priority for the Yankees. That's where their sole focus should be until those sweepstakes are resolved.

How the Yankees would pull off a deal for Chapman remains to be seen if they re-sign Soto, who is likely to command a deal that exceeds $500 million this winter.

Either way, Chapman is a fantastic fit if the money gets figured out. He's a spectacular defender with elite exit velocity, bat speed, barrel rate and hard-hit rate.

It remains to be seen how aggressive the Yankees can be if they sign Soto to a megadeal, and Chapman should have plenty of suitors.

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Kevin Hickey

Kevin Hickey Photo

Hickey was previously the managing editor of USA Today's Colts Wire. His work is also featured as a fantasy football analyst for The Huddle. A career .232 hitter, he is an avid reader of Spider-Man comics, an admirer of the James Webb Space Telescope, and a keen enthusiast of Ma’s sauce. You can find him on Twitter/X @KevinHickey11