Yankees Mailbag: Leadoff additions and a Soto-less plan

"As it currently stands, FanGraphs has the Yankees at a payroll of $244 million, $65 million less than they paid out for the 2024 campaign."

"There's little-to-no room that they could add a leadoff bat via free agency and re-sign Soto, as they'd likely have to tab $50 million or more of that windfall directly into his new contract."

"The trade market will always be an option, but this early on it'll be tough to tell who's willing to part with major-league talent with so many moving parts still up in the air."

"If there's no easy answer that stands out after the offseason gets moving, this could be one of the spots where the team relies on their internal candidates like Anthony Volpe."

Read at Pinstripe Alley