Hal Steinbrenner: Yankees have a ‘better team than we did a year ago’

The Yankees have had a rollercoaster offseason.

After Juan Soto left to sigh with the crosstown rival Mets, the Yankees pivoted. They strengthened a number of areas, including the rotation, bullpen and outfield in hopes of making it back to the World Series.

It’s way too early to say how the Yankees’ offseason moves and lineup sans Soto will work out — the team made it to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2009 — but managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner is very optimistic about the new-look Yankees.

“We’re excited about [the offseason moves],” Steinbrenner told YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits. “A lot of hard work in December into January. Some people may disagree with me, but some people will agree with me — I think we have a better team than we did a year ago today.”

Of course, that includes a Yankees team with Soto in the lineup. Soto had a career season in The Bronx, hitting a career-high 41 homers and slashing .288/.419/.570, en route to finishing third in AL MVP voting.

So when Soto hit free agency at the end of last season, the Yankees were the favorite to re-sign him. Steinbrenner and Co. offered a reported $760 million contract; the outfielder accepted a $765 million deal over 15 years to jump to the Mets in what has been heralded as a franchise-changing signing.

“I wouldn’t say surprised [by how Soto’s free agency went] but I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Steinbrenner said. “Juan’s got a big family, they were all very involved. There was a lot of different voices in his ear, giving him advice and I just didn’t know. I wouldn’t say I was surprised, I was certainly disappointed.”

The Yankees may have been disappointed but Soto’s decision allowed them to use that cash to address other needs.

Their biggest signing was LHP Max Fried to give the Yankees a co-ace behind Gerrit Cole. They traded for perennial All-Star closer Devin Williams and former MVP Cody Bellinger to play center. Oh, and they signed another former MVP, Paul Goldschmidt to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base.

All of these moves were to make the Yankees better defensively and prevent runs. If they can’t have an offensive output like they did with Soto last season, they’ll make it harder for the opponent to score.

But Steinbrenner is confident the offensive additions will still provide more than enough in that department next season.

“Our starting rotation’s better, our defense is better, and Bellinger and Goldschmidt, I think they’ll make up for a good deal of Juan’s offense — his bat,” Steinbrenner said.

The Yankees hope that’s the case as they look to make another deep playoff run, and Steinbrenner admitted that he and the team will enter 2025 with chips on their shoulders after their loss to the Dodgers, marred by defensive blunders and miscues.

“We’re way better than we showed in that last series,” he said. “We’re going to be better defensively this time around, if we make it. I believe, if we make it, we’ll get the job done. But we’ve got to play our best game when you’re playing a team like the Dodgers.

“It’s like playing the Kansas City Chiefs. You can’t make mistakes. You can’t give them outs. You can’t give them runs. You’ve got to play your best game. We didn’t do that. I think that makes us even more hungry to get there again this year.”