What's next for the Yankees after Juan Soto deal?

Since “the future is always now” with these Yankees – nifty catchphrase there, Brian Cashman – there’s plenty more work to do on the pinstriped roster, even with Juan Soto tucked snugly into the lineup.

Soto obviously improves an offense that was way too low on too many leaderboards last season, including a bleak 25th in runs per game. Perhaps some of 2023’s injured or disappointing (or those that were both) will inject more thump, too, and maybe the Yanks deserve plaudits for getting more left-handed with Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo.

But Yankee pitching took a hit in the Soto/Grisham and Verdugo trades. That must be addressed. So should the bullpen, a corps that, across baseball, can always morph into something combustible.

The Yanks are clearly an all-in team after grabbing Soto, who could end up as a one-year rental. That means more moves are coming. Here’s a look at some possibilities:

Add the top free agent starter

Clearly, the No. 1 available starter is Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who over the past year or so has been personally responsible for a surge in tourism in Japan among upper-level baseball executives. Cashman was there to see Yamamoto’s no-hitter and reportedly saved his ticket stub as a souvenir for his son; Steve Cohen and David Stearns jetted over before MLB’s Winter Meetings. Other teams are salivating over the prospect of adding Yamamoto to their rotations and he will be expensive.

The Yankees already have Gerrit Cole, who might be baseball’s best pitcher right now. After Cole, their rotation has potential, but question marks, too. Many of them

Yamamoto, who’s just 25 years old, would cement the kind of 1-2 punch the Yanks now enjoy in their lineup with Soto and Aaron Judge. Pitchers at his talent level don’t often come on to the free market at that age.

Do the Yanks have a shot at signing him? Sure. They are supposed to meet with Yamamoto next week. They never gave away No. 18 last season, perhaps to dangle that number – reserved for aces in Japan – in front of Yamamoto.

And it might be fair to wonder if one of the reasons they included Michael King, a terrific pitcher, in the Soto trade was because they felt good about their chances with Yamamoto.

They need to make it happen.

Plug in Plan B

The last time the Yanks went for the second-best Japanese pitcher on the market, the Kei Igawa debacle happened. But scouting Japanese players has improved greatly over the years and MLB teams are much more knowledgeable about how to smooth their transition to the States.

So if Yamamato picks another franchise, perhaps the Yanks pivot to Shota Imanaga, a 30-year-old lefty who throws four pitches. Imanaga, who had a 2.66 ERA in 24 starts last year for the Yokohama BayStars, actually had more strikeouts than Yamamoto last season (188 in 159 innings).

Imanaga started the WBC final against Team USA and the video of his two-inning stint shows his potential. At one point, he fanned Cedric Mullins of the Orioles on a 94 mph fastball that painted the outside corner. Imanaga, who has some hesitation funk in his delivery, also made hitters look uncomfortable and off-balance in video of his starts in Japan.

Find a free agent fail-safe

If Yamamoto goes elsewhere, the Yanks could sign another free agent from the top of the market. Old pal Jordan Montgomery is available, and that would be quite a story considering how he proved his postseason chops a year after the Yanks traded him in part because he was unlikely to be part of their October rotation in 2022. How’d that work out? But Montgomery will be 31 at the end of the month and likely will need a long-term commitment. Same for Blake Snell, who just turned 31 this month.

Montgomery and Snell are the two biggest names available on the starters’ market, but there are back-fill types who could round out a rotation of Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt.

What if Jack Flaherty or Lucas Giolito were able to recapture past excellence in pinstripes? Michael Lorenzen had enough stuff last year to throw a no-hitter. There are reports they’ve engaged with Frankie Montas, who had an injury-ravaged past two seasons in the Bronx.

Frankly, the Yankees should add at least one of those lower-tier guys even if they get Yamamoto, since health questions linger about Rodón and Cortes.

Ace the trade market

The Yanks lost a lot of pitching in trades and the recent Rule 5 draft. It speaks well of how they’ve developed pitching recently, including relievers, but leaves their depth hurting. Still, they have further chips for deals if they deem that the best way to complete their rotation is by trading for one of the No. 1-types believed available – Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber or Tyler Glasnow.

Cease has the most remaining control, so he’d be the most attractive. Doubt that the Yanks have remaining talent? Consider our list of potential swap-ables: No. 1 (via MLB.com) prospect Spencer Jones, Oswald Peraza, Everson Pereira, Gleyber Torres, Verdugo, their catching depth and pitchers Chase Hampton (No. 3) and Will Warren (No. 4).

Make the ‘pen mightier

The Yankees had the best relief ERA in baseball last season (3.34) and have some good relievers returning in Clay Holmes, Ian Hamilton, Tommy Kahnle and others. Jonathan Loáisiga only appeared in 17 games because of injury and Scott Effross missed the year recovering from Tommy John surgery. Both likely return, too, and, as noted, the Yanks have been adept in recent years at churning out helpful relief pieces.

But bullpens can be unpredictable, so the Yanks better be sure theirs is bolstered. There are high-end options (Josh Hader), high-octane arms (hard-throwing Jordan Hicks) emerging relievers (Robert Stephenson), old pals (David Robertson) and internationals (Yariel Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui). Hector Neris, who had a 1.71 ERA for the Astros last year, is a free agent, too.