When the New York Mets made Juan Soto the highest-paid athlete in sports history, they took away an offensive powerhouse from the New York Yankees. Soto’s impressive stats, including a 7.9 WAR and .989 OPS, made him a tough player for the Yankees to replace.
Despite this, the Yankees have largely focused on improving their pitching rather than filling the offensive gap left by Soto. Their most notable offensive acquisition has been Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs, who contributed a 2.2 WAR and .751 OPS last season, which doesn’t match Soto’s production.
In an attempt to replace Soto’s offensive power and add another All-Star caliber player, a popular Yankees podcast has suggested that the team pursue Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa.
In 2021, Correa led the league with a 7.2 WAR, and though he battled a heel injury and plantar fasciitis in 2024, he still showed signs of his former self, batting .325 in his final 11 games of the season. Given Correa’s potential for a full recovery, Ryan Garcia and Alex Wilson, co-hosts of Fireside Yankees, have called on the Yankees to trade for him.
“We want Carlos Correa. If the Twins are at least listening on conversations, that means they’re not off the table,” Garcia said in a December 26 podcast. “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. That’s an ‘American League, watch out. You are on notice,’ type of move.”
Though the hosts acknowledged the financial and prospect cost of acquiring Correa, they emphasized that the move would make the Yankees a stronger team and a legitimate World Series contender.
However, not all Yankees fans are keen on the idea of bringing Correa to New York, primarily due to his involvement in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal, which continues to leave a sour taste among Yankee supporters. Some critics argue that Correa’s hefty contract and potential negative reception in New York might outweigh his talents.
