Yankees' Plan B begins with Max Fried. Could they be better off without Juan Soto?

DALLAS — The Yankees didn't get what they ultimately wanted. But there's still time for them to get what they need. 

Despite October's World Series run, New York entered the offseason with more than a few holes on its roster. The starting rotation might not have appeared to be one of them, but the addition of Max Fried gives the Yankees arguably the best staff in the American League. While it was a surprise that they guaranteed the 31-year-old Fried the most money for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history ($218 million over eight years), their quick pivot to a second ace could provide flexibility in how they address the offensive void created by losing the Juan Soto sweepstakes. 

That prompted the following debate between our MLB writers: 

Given what it would have cost to sign Juan Soto , how do you feel about the Max Fried contract? Could you see the Yankees being better off in the aggregate without Soto?

Deesha Thosar: Finally, Yankees fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the team has shrugged off the loss of Soto and moved on in a significant way. Brian Cashman revealed the Yankees weren't able to go all-in on a competitive offer for Blake Snell because they were waiting to see how their payroll would be impacted by Soto's decision. That ultimately cost them when Snell quickly signed with the Dodgers. So, it was smart of the Yankees front office to go right after Fried, the other top left-handed pitcher on the market, less than 48 hours after they lost Soto to the Mets.

I'm more surprised at the length of the Fried contract than I am with the expenditure. Giving an eight-year deal to a 31-year-old with a history of recent forearm injuries is certainly a risk. Fried has the third-best ERA