Hal Steinbrenner dishes on Yankees’ payroll, needs beyond Juan Soto, Roki Sasaki & more

Hal Steinbrenner spent astir of his Wednesday media availability answering questions astir Juan Soto.

That was to beryllium expected, arsenic the Yankees proprietor and a fewer different members of the enactment met with the coveted escaped cause successful Southern California connected Monday. However, Soto was not the lone taxable addressed by Steinbrenner astatine MLB’s Owners Meetings, nor was helium the lone subordinate of involvement to beryllium mentioned during a media scrum that lasted 13 minutes.

Here’s a look astatine wherever the proprietor stands connected respective non-Soto matters.

The Yankees’ Payroll

Steinbrenner antecedently called the Yankees’ 2024 payroll unsustainable, arsenic they went supra $300 cardinal for the archetypal clip successful franchise history. He reiterated that constituent connected Wednesday, but noted that a batch of wealth has travel disconnected the pennant-winning team’s books acknowledgment to a fewer in-house escaped agents.

“We’re successful a amended starting presumption than we were a twelvemonth ago,” Steinbrenner said. “There’s nary uncertainty astir that. Look, twelvemonth aft twelvemonth aft twelvemonth aft year, payrolls akin to this twelvemonth and the luxury taxes they nutrient are not sustainable, not feasible, and that’s the lawsuit for the immense bulk of owners, and possibly each of the owners.

“Doesn’t mean successful immoderate fixed twelvemonth I can’t bash what I privation to do.”

As of now, the Yankees’ 2025 payroll is projected to beryllium $238.8 million, per Cot’s Contracts. While the Yankees are successful a amended spot, arsenic Steinbrenner said, they’re presently budgeting a batch of wealth for Soto, who is seeking good implicit half-a-billion dollars arsenic immoderate of baseball’s richest teams tribunal him.

The Yankees could escaped up further wealth earlier Friday’s non-tender deadline, arsenic Trent Grisham and Tim Mayza are among those with notable projected salaries who are perchance connected the chopping block. Future trades could besides supply relief.

Steinbrenner said that helium hasn’t decided connected an operating fund for 2025, and he’s told Brian Cashman that he’s unfastened to immoderate proposals.

“We’ve got the quality to motion immoderate subordinate we privation to sign,” Steinbrenner said.

Needs Beyond Soto

Even if Soto stays, giving the Yankees continuity successful close field, they’ll person plentifulness of holes to capable with their remaining payroll. A squad that reached the World Series successful 2024 could look highly different, arsenic determination are besides question marks astatine archetypal base, 2nd basal and successful near field.

“As always, thing that comes crossed my desk, I’m going to consider,” Steinbrenner said. “We bash person different things to add, whether that’s via escaped agency, whether that’s via a trade. We’ve got immoderate things we request to amended upon. Every nine does.”

The Yankees could usage younger — and cheaper — players astatine immoderate of the aforementioned positions, particularly if Soto is retained. For example, Caleb Durbin is simply a campaigner for second. Jasson Domínguez whitethorn get a changeable successful left. Ben Rice is simply a fallback enactment astatine first, though that should beryllium the Yankees’ apical precedence aft Soto.

While respective positions up for grabs, Steinbrenner specifically said that the Yankees volition bash a “deep dive” connected their rotation and bullpen.

“Speaking hypothetically, I don’t deliberation you tin ever person capable pitching,” the proprietor said.

The Latest connected Roki Sasaki

One pitcher who volition beryllium of involvement to the Yankees — and beauteous overmuch each different squad — is Roki Sasaki.

Hours aft Steinbrenner spoke, commissioner Rob Manfred said that the Japanese ace is expected to motion with a large league nine arsenic portion of the 2025 planetary signing class. That means that Sasaki won’t motion earlier January 15, though it’s inactive unclear precisely erstwhile the Chiba Lotte Marines volition station the flamethrowing righty.

Sasaki volition motion a comparatively tiny contract, arsenic the 23-year-old’s property limits him to teams’ planetary signing bonus pools nether MLB rules. According to Baseball America, the Yankees person $6,261,600 successful their pool. The Dodgers, perceived arsenic favorites for Sasaki due to the fact that they predominate the Japanese media marketplace and employment Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, person $5,146,200.

However, Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, called those rumors “poor sportsmanship,” per The Athletic’s Evan Drellich.

Some notable teams that person adjacent oregon much bonus excavation wealth than the Yankees see the Rangers, Blue Jays, Padres, Phillies, Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, Orioles, Diamondbacks, Rays and Mariners.

The Yankees person been scouting Sasaki for years, but Steinbrenner said he’s lone seen highlights. He called Sasaki a “tremendous pitcher” but added “we person not had immoderate existent discussions astatine each astir immoderate imaginable postings of Japanese players yet.”

“But similar each different club, I’m definite we will,” the proprietor continued.

Boone and Cole’s Contracts

While thing sounded imminent, Steinbrenner indicated that the Yankees could adhd onto Aaron Boone and Gerrit Cole’s contracts.

Boone conscionable had a nine enactment picked up for 2025. He precocious said that helium had not discussed an hold with the Yankees, but it wouldn’t beryllium a astonishment if specified talks hap aboriginal this offseason.

“I’m going to person discussions with Cashman successful the precise adjacent future,” Steinbrenner said. “There’s nary immense unreserved to it, but I volition person those discussions arsenic to what we should bash next, if anything.”

Steinbrenner offered a akin reply connected Gerrit Cole.

The ace opted retired of the remaining 4 years and $144 cardinal connected his declaration astatine the commencement of the offseason. The Yankees had the quality to void that opt retired by adding an other twelvemonth and $36 cardinal to his deal, but they didn’t bash that. Instead of investigating escaped agency, Cole past fundamentally changed his caput astir opting out.

At the time, it was suggested that the Yankees, Cole and his agent, Scott Boras — who besides reps Soto — could sermon an hold astatine a aboriginal date.

“Any discussions they privation to have, we’ll have,” said Steinbrenner, who is adjacent with Cole. “The occupation was the 5th year. There were a fig of factors progressive from my end. It was truly conscionable the time. We lone had 48 hours. And erstwhile the deadline came, I conscionable wasn’t successful a presumption wherever I was comfy going to a 5th year.

“But fto maine conscionable accidental that doesn’t bespeak successful immoderate way, signifier oregon signifier what we deliberation of Gerrit. We privation Gerrit to beryllium a Yankee for life. I judge helium wants to beryllium a Yankee for life. And adding 1 much twelvemonth oregon not should person nary meaning erstwhile it comes to that.”