All summer, the future hung over Yankee Stadium like a storm cloud.

As Juan Sotothis fiery Typhoon with baseball abilities, endeared himself to the pinstripe faithful and at the same time faced a barrage of inquiries about whether he would stay in the Bronx for the long haul. Following New York’s embarrassing World Series lossthe spotlight immediately turned to Soto, who spent this evening (naturally) advertising itself for the upcoming free agent frenzy.

The 2024 Yankees have been both a success and a failure, an incredibly competent team that accomplished a lot despite a long list of flaws. Aaron Boonewhose job is unlike any other big league skipper, had his 2025 option picked up last week and will continue as Yankee manager. No changes to Boone’s coaching staff have yet been revealed, although he recently revealed during a media session that the group would remain “largely intact.”

Either way, the Yankees, as usual, will play a major role in this MLB offseason. They are faced with a multitude of unknowns. Four of their nine starting players are free agents, as are three key members of the bullpen. And while Gerrit Cole contract situation – in which the ace retreated, but then appeared to reverse course – started strangely, it will surely end with Cole back in pinstripes. Of course, whether the Yankees retain Soto will dictate their own decisions and those of 29 other clubs.

With that in mind, here are the top five questions that will shape the Yankees’ winter.

Current highlights: CF/SP/C

Current holes: 1B/2B/RF

Free agents: DE Juan Soto, 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Gleyber Torres, DE Alex Verdugo, RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Tommy Kahnle, LHP Tim Hill

1. Can the Yankees keep Soto?

The whole winter begins and ends with this question. Soto’s 2024 in the Bronx was a dreamland, far beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. He was an on-base machine in front of Aaron Judge and again proved his October mettle with a The ALCS wins the smash.

As magical as Soto’s debut in New York was, a return is far from certain. The crosstown Mets should play hard on the slugger’s serves and the deep-pocketed Dodgers can’t be counted out either. Priorities No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 from general manager Brian Cashman and team owner Hal Steinbrenner keep Soto in pinstripes.

2. If the Yankees keep Soto, how does the OF roster look?

A Soto return would create a fascinating situation on the field; a good problem, but still a problem. With the DH spot clogged by the aging and still unequivocally dangerous Giancarlo Stanton, Soto would once again be the everyday right fielder, keeping Aaron Judge as his regular center fielder. Barring a free agent or trade addition, top prospect Jasson Domínguez looks set to command the majority of the time in left field. While the offensive ceiling of this outfield trio is sensational, it is incredibly concerning from a defensive standpoint.

Judge’s ability to play the most demanding position in the outfield as a 6-foot-7 goliath is remarkable, but the imminent 2024 AL MVP has ranked as one of the worst center fielders in the league. Soto, aside from the wacky Gold Glove nomination, is a tough scene right. And Domínguez, once hailed as a potential center, seemed completely lost on the left during a September trial. All three players, assuming a Soto returns, would be under contract for the foreseeable future. Judge can’t be the long-term option in center field; he will decline further and be more vulnerable to injury. So what is the way forward? Here are some options:

• Wait for Stanton and hope Domínguez gets better: The slugger’s long contract may expire after 2026. New York could hope to have Domínguez become a regular center fielder, move Judge to Yankee Stadium’s wide left field and keep Soto in right. When Stanton moves on, Soto moves to DH.

• Move someone to first base: The most glaring hole on this list is at the beginning; why not fill it with an All-Star? Neither Judge nor Soto ever played a professional inning at first base, but so did Bryce Harper, who became a fairly reliable gloveman.

• Make an exchange: It’s unlikely, but if the Yankees truly believe Domínguez won’t become a CF, they could trade the youngster for an infielder and fill the position. Stanton’s massive contract makes a deal difficult, but his value right now, after a spectacular October, is as high as it has been in years.

3. What would Soto’s pivot be?

If Soto signs with the Mets, Dodgers, Rays or any of the other MLB clubs, the world will continue to turn, the grass will continue to grow, and the Yankees will continue to try to field a competitive ballclub in 2025.

The most comparable replacement is the free-agent right fielder. Antoine Santandera slugger who has hit 44 home runs for the Orioles in 2024. But Santander’s on-base skills are mediocre, and besides his hand, he doesn’t really fit into the Yankees’ lineup. Teoscar Hernández presents a similar dynamic, except it only hits to the right. Jurickson Profar has the most attractive base profile among non-Soto free agents and is also a switch hitter, but the former top prospect is a middle infielder with a very short history of elite production. Pete Alonso has raked New York for years and would fill the Yankees’ first base void, but wouldn’t solve the club’s problem of being too one-dimensional. For years, infielder Alex Bregman was one of the league’s greatest walk-ons, but his BB% fell off a cliff in 2024 even as the rest of his game generally remained steady.

The 2024 Yankees thrived because they had two global monsters in the middle of the lineup, two of the five best players on the planet. Replacing Soto as a whole would be nearly impossible.

4. What is the opening day on the field?

Anthony Volpe will be the shortstop. The rest is just a mist.

Jazz Chisholm Jr is expected to join Volpe in the dirt, but it is unclear whether he will play third base (where he played for the Yankees in ’24) or second base (Chisholm has much more experience in middle field) . First base, with the likely departure of Anthony Rizzo, for whom the club declined a 2025 option, is a total question mark. Over the last three seasons, Gleyber Torres has started 85% of the Yankees’ games at second base, and he should be in another laundry next season as well.

The internal options to fill these two open spots on the field are numerous, although relatively uninspiring.

• Oswaldo Cabrera a Swiss army knife who played every position last season except center and receiver. But the 26-year-old has been a well-below-average hitter in 827 career plate appearances and his defensive versatility works best as a bench option.

• Yankees would love a rebound from the 36-year-old DJ LeMahieuwho has been both injured and horribly bad in 2024. Both cornerbacks are, in theory, options for “DJLM,” but the lanky infielder could be cooked. He ranked as the seventh-worst player in MLB last year (-1.6 bWAR).

• Jon Berti played an admirable emergency first baseman in the postseason and gave the powerful, hard-working Yankees lineup a different look as a high-contact, high-speed player. But the 35-year-old has struggled with injuries all year, totaling just 74 plate appearances, and he can’t really be counted on as a regular option.

• First baseman Ben Rice appeared in June and set the world on fire for three weeks before falling back to Earth. He even reached fourth place behind Judge for a handful of games.

• A trio of hopes on the field, Oswald Peraza, Jorbit Vivas And Caleb Durbinall have potential pedigree and/or high performance in the minors. Still, giving an everyday spring training spot to any of the three would be a surprise.

The most likely scenario: The Yankees occupy one infield spot and one outfield. Whether or not they keep Soto is likely to determine the level of free agent they seek.

5. Rebuild the bullpen

At the end of the World Series, the top of New York’s reliever hierarchy looked like this: Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr. It will almost certainly be different next year, with Holmes, Kahnle and “Hill hits all free agency”. The Yankees have shown a great ability to turn neglected and abandoned pitchers into elite weapons, as was the case with Weaver and Holmes. They could try this buy-low strategy again in 2025, but given the current state of affairs, an external acquisition seems likely.

An older reliever with a solid resume like Kirby Yates or Blake Treinen seems like a reasonable choice. The Yankees could then fill the other high-leverage positions with rehab projects, spring training invites, etc. It has already worked for them.