2024 was an exciting year for New York baseball fans. Mets fans got to see their team make it to the National League Championship game, with an especially exciting season to watch. However, they lost the National League Championship Series in game six to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fortunately, baseball was not yet over in New York. In the Bronx, the Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship and advanced to the World Series to face the Dodgers.
The Yankees let down their fans as they were dominated in five mostly non-competitive games. The brutal end to the 2024 season undoubtedly left Yankee fans, like Mets fans, hoping for a better season in 2025.
Both teams looked to make trades and become aggressive in the offseason as a strategy to strengthen their teams. The Mets and the Yankees are amongst the highest payrolls in the MLB and are typically very aggressive. Unsurprisingly to many, this winter break for both teams was particularly active. The Yankees spent over $270 million on new contracts while swapping out 12 players from last year’s squad and adding 9 new players. For the Mets, 9 new players were added and 12 departed, costing them over $1 billion dollars.
Of the 40 players that were involved in the offseason moves (trades, new contracts, free agents, etc.), there was no move more meaningful than when the news broke that Juan Soto was switching from the Yankees to the Mets. News broke that he was to sign a 15 year contract for $765 million dollars in December. While the price tag may seem excessive, Juan Soto, who proved to be a critical player for the Yankees both in the regular season and the postseason, is considered one of the best players in the sport and is only 25 years old. The Yankees had offered him $720 million to stay with them but they were ultimately bested by the Mets crosstown who simply offered him $40 million and 1 year less.
Juan Soto was not the only big name involved in the offseason maneuvering. The Yankees added pitchers Max Fried and Devin Williams and outfielder Cody Bellinger, while the Mets re-signed slugging first baseman Pete Alonso and added another former Yankee: right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes. For both teams, the addition of these pitchers could be incredibly beneficial for their bullpens, allowing them to have more flexibility amongst their pitching. Those who remember the 2023 Yankees season may remember this being a key problem for them, so hopefully these new contracts will avoid that.
There’s no doubt that after a thrilling but ultimately unsatisfying 2024 season, the active offseason excites New York baseball fans, and opening day cannot come soon enough. Both teams kick off the new season on March 27, with the Yankees playing at home against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Mets playing the Houston Astros on the road.