Regardless of World Series result, Yankees trade for Juan Soto was a success

NEW YORK — The Yankees finally pushed their chips to the middle and results followed.

While the Bombers enter Tuesday’s Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers staring down the barrel of a historically insurmountable 3-0 deficit — except that one time in 2004 — the biggest reason they even got to this stage is because they went for it.

Brian Cashman finally made the move, paying a hefty price to trade for one guaranteed season of superstar Juan Soto. Sure, there is plenty to be made — especially with how they’ve performed against the lone opponent who figured to be in their weight class — about their favorable path to the World Series. But the move to put Soto in pinstripes did what it was designed to do: give them a chance to win a title.

“I think the one thing Juan has shown us all year is that kind of flair for the dramatic and knack for big situations,” said Aaron Boone. “I remember, like spring training, but all eyes were on it. It was like, he put on a show. We go to Houston, he puts on a show. So I think it speaks to how great a player is. But then certainly he’s shown us all year level knack for that moment too.”

In many ways, this was a step in the right direction. The Yankees front office has often been criticized in past years for over-analying and overthinking the obvious move for the best players available — the shortstop market in 2021 with Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and even the first base market with Freddie Freeman, who’s been in the opposing dugout during this World Series.

Now, there is definitive evidence of what can happen when you acquire the best players — on both sides of the diamond. If Soto walks in free agency, the trade will still be a success, however, expecting to be back on this stage would be naive, just take a look at what executive Andrew Friedman has done with the Dodgers.

Part of the reason why the Dodgers are the team that finds themselves one win away from popping champagne is because they’ve made the move three times. They were the team to sign Freeman, trade for and sign Mookie Betts and then hand a blank check to Shohei Ohtani — and that’s before mentioning inking Yoshinobu Yamamoto and dealing for Tyler Glasnow, who’s been out for the postseason.

The Yankees are a fundamentally flawed team. There is no question about that as the results have shown in the first three games of the World Series. The Dodgers have ultimately proved to be who the Bombers think they are.

However, they are not irreparably flawed. Just one year ago, there appeared to be more wrong with the Yankees than just Soto could fix after going 82-80 and missing the postseason. But acquiring a star of his caliber — who slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 homers and 109 RBI before dominating in October — helped mask those detrimental flaws on their way to an American League pennant.

There’s still a plethora of issues with the Bombers and handing $600 million to the 26-year-old in the offseason won’t be enough to change the narrative — as plenty of uncomfortable conversations will be had about Aaron Judge’s postseason performance and their often head-scratching brand of baseball.

But if there’s one thing to take away, it’s that making the biggest move is often the right one and the Yankees had their most successful season in 15 years because of it.

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