Soto's departure undoubtedly stung the Yankees, as he was spectacular for them during his lone season in the Bronx. In 157 games as a Yankee in 2024, he had a career-high 41 home runs to go along with 109 RBIs and a .288 batting average.

Gerrit Cole says he always intended to remain with the New York Yankees. The 34-year-old right-hander exercised his right to opt out of his contract on the third day after the World Series, giving up

While Cole praised his fellow Boras Corp. client, he also spoke highly of the Yankees' offseason moves following Soto's departure.