The New York Yankees dodged a bullet by not signing Juan Soto, who chose to sign with the New York Mets for a staggering 15-year, $765 million contract. Despite the Yankees' efforts to retain Soto after a World Series appearance, they reallocated that money effectively to build a competitive roster, including acquiring Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt, and trading for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams for a total of $283 million.

As of now, the Yankees are performing exceptionally well, leading the American League East by a significant margin. Soto’s performance has been underwhelming, with a .232 batting average, while Aaron Judge continues to shine, boasting an OPS of 1.237. While the Yankees' current roster construction reflects a savvy short-term strategy, the long-term implications of their decisions will become clearer in the coming years.