ESPN: The Yankees announce a new discovery as they have a galaxy brained perfect replacement for Juan Soto.

The Yankees may make a change that would startle the rest of Major League Baseball if they miss out on Juan Soto in free agency.

The difficulty of replacing Juan Soto’s productivity in the middle of their hitting order is something that the New York Yankees are more aware of than any other team. New York makes it clear that re-signing Soto is their main offseason goal because of this. In the event that Soto does not return to the Bronx, the team is also considering a drastic backup plan to help bolster the squad.

In order to support manager Aaron Boone’s batting order, the Yankees would need to add one or two more hitters once Soto leaves. However, acquiring another starting pitcher might not be possible due to the higher value available on the free market. If the appropriate free agent is within their desired price range, the organization is at least thinking about starting the regular season with six pitchers.

The Yankees could try to put together a rotation with six players.

The Yankees may be interested in four particular pitchers listed on the team’s official website. GM Brian Cashman and his staff may be interested in Max Fried, Jack Flaherty, Corbin Burnes, and Walker Beuhler. Although Burnes is probably going to sign the largest contract of the four, it won’t be nearly as much as what Soto will get in free agency. If Soto signs elsewhere, the Yankees would have the signing authority to easily sign the starting pitcher of their choosing.

The Yankees already have five proven starters on their roster going into the season, and that free agent would join them. Gerrit Cole has established himself as the team’s ace. Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt all seem like good choices to occupy the final four traditional rotation places. Marcus Stroman is still on the team, but he may be traded. Finding a team willing to take on his deal in a trade will be challenging for the Yankees.

Given the realities of injuries in current Major League Baseball, the concept of adding a sixth starter makes logical. It is impossible for a club to finish a season without a key starting pitcher injury. It’s also no longer possible for starters to log more than 200 innings in a season. It’s simple to understand why New York would think that hiring six starters instead of five would secure their workforce.

Adding a sixth star may be New York’s greatest option to strengthen their club while losing a superstar like Soto since it would cover injuries and lessen the strain on other players.