Big news coming out of the Bronx. No, they didn’t get Juan Soto yet. Although they would love to. The Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, said, “We are more than willing to meet as many times as he would like to meet,” in response to Soto’s agent saying he wanted to meet ownership personally. “We certainly have an interest in retaining him, and we’ll put our best foot forward there.” While the Soto Saga continues, the Yanks have brought in a significant figure in the MLB scene.

Hal Steinbrenner’s team has officially found their new voice in the radio booth, and it’s none other than Dave Sims. The Yankees announced this on Thursday, tweeting, “We’re thrilled to welcome Dave Sims as the new play-by-play voice of the Yankees on WFAN.” They’ve taken him away from the Seattle Mariners, where he’d been a permanent presence on their TV broadcasts for the past 17 seasons. At 71, Sims is joining the legendary Suzyn Waldman in the booth, and they are about to create some serious radio magic.

With the Yankees always at the center of attention, this new duo could be just the spark the fanbase needs. As for the team, they’re gearing up for a busy winter, and their top priority remains clear: locking up Juan Soto. In that regard, who are the Yankees up against?

For the first time since the Washington Nationals signed him in 2015, Juan Soto has become a free agent again. And he was waiting for this. In fact, after he helped the Nationals win their first World Series, the franchise even offered him a 15-year, $440 million contract. But Soto turned it down. However, there’s a possibility of a reunion! Yahoo! Sports reported, “This would be a homecoming for the ages. Soto still has an affinity for the team that first signed him and maintains a close relationship with Nats skipper Davey Martinez.”

“Washington’s payroll right now is below $100 million, and they have an interesting core of young players who could benefit from hitting around Soto.” But the Dominican Republic native wants to join a team that he believes can win a World Series right from the get-go. And, unfortunately, Washington may not be one of them. Apart from his former team, the Yankees are going up against their local rivals, too!

The Mets are a franchise wanting to emerge from the Yanks’ shadow, and bringing in someone like Soto – who has proven just how quickly he can make a difference – may just be the thing they need to do so. And right now, they’re the favorites to sign the outfielder. In fact, they even met with him on Saturday, the it was a “positive meeting.” 

That said, Soto has also met with the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays already. Now, the outfielder will sit down with the Yankees on Monday, during which Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner will hope to put their “best foot forward” to retain their star player. Considering their success this season, with Soto leading the franchise to its first World Series appearance since 2009, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Soto does decide to stay with the Yanks. As for the team bringing in Dave Sims to be their radio voice, even this wasn’t exactly a move that came about out of nowhere.

As reported by Ian Casselberry of Yahoo! Sports, “There was something of an in-season tryout for the job, with Justin Shackil, Emmanuel Berbari, and Rickie Ricardo among those to call games in 2024, but it’s something of a coup for the Yankees to poach one of the most respected play-by-play voices in the game.” What is this “job” Casselberry was referring to?

The Yankees’ legendary play-by-play announcer, John Sterling, decided to start taking some games off, starting from the 2023 season. And after calling games for the Yanks from 1989 to 2024, the 86-year-old finally decided to hang up his boots. Did you know he called 5,060 consecutive games for the franchise from 1989 to 2019? So, you can imagine just how loved he was and how big his shoes will be to fill. And that’s why, after giving the likes of Shackil, Berbari, and Ricardo a shot at it, Steinbrenner & Co. set their sights on Dave Sims. And they got him!

What makes this even more special is that Dave Sims is a New York guy at heart. Though he’s spent most of his broadcasting career on the West Coast with the Mariners, he’s a Philly native. Casselberry added in his report, “The move represents a homecoming for Sims, a Philadelphia native who began his media career as a reporter for the New York Daily News, spent time on WFAN, and maintained a New York home in the offseason.”

It’s the kind of move that feels destined to happen, and sure, it’s a win for the Yankees, but it’s a win for fans, too. As the front office tries to lock in on Soto, hoping Dave Sims refers to the outfielder as a Yankee even in 2025, the team has more than a few roster holes to plug. 

Other than Juan Soto, what do the Yankees need?

With Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo expected to depart, the Yankees will need to find answers at both second base and first base. The solution could come via a trade with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have an intriguing trade chip in Cody Bellinger. After a disappointing second season with Chicago, Bellinger, who still has over $30 million left on his 2025 deal, could be on the move. However, if they’re going to move Bellinger, the Cubs might be more inclined to pair him with Nico Hoerner.  

Hoerner has established himself as one of the best second basemen in the game over the last three seasons. He could fill a critical gap for the Yankees at second, while Bellinger, with a change of scenery, might bounce back to his MVP-caliber form that we saw in the past. The Yankees, of course, would have to give up quite a bit to make this happen. The Cubs are expected to demand two of the Yankees’ top prospects: Spencer Jones, their top outfielder, and right-handed pitcher Will Warren, who’s had a strong season in the minors.  

It’s a hefty price to pay, but landing both Bellinger and Hoerner would be a huge win for the Yankees’ roster, especially given the void at second and first base. The potential upside here is enormous. Hoerner has been a rock-solid contributor on both sides of the ball and could anchor the Yankees’ middle infield for years to come. If Bellinger recaptures his 2019 form, it would give the Yankees an instant upgrade at first base or as a corner outfielder.