THE New York Yankees have a few routes they can take to land a first baseman this offseason. The Yankees’ 1B starter starting in 2024, Anthony Rizzo, declined the qualifying offer the franchise extended to him this fall. Rizzo may be looking for more money in free agency, forcing New York’s front office to find a suitable replacement for him.

The Yankees could ask Christian Walker or Carlos Santana for help at 1B

In briefcase No. 1, the Yankees could draft an eight-figure deal for former Arizona Diamondbacks free agent Christian Walker. In briefcase No. 2, the Bronx Bombers could get ahead of themselves and formulate a profitable contract for former Minnesota Twins free agent Carlos Santana.

You’ll need a gold glove to open either one. Walker and Santana were both among the best defensive first basemen last season and won the 2024 Gold Glove Awards for it. Their nearly identical wins above replacement metrics of 2.6 and 2.5 respectively from the previous season make them two candidates to watch closely for the potential vacancy in the Bronx, New York.

Yankees: Walker is one of three reigning Gold Glove Award winners to consider

At the plate, Walker was very effective for the Diamondbacks last time out. The 33 year old man cut .251/.335/.468 with an .803 OPS while connecting on 26 homers and 84 RBIs. He missed 32 games on the year and could have finished closer to the 34.5 homers and 98.5 RBIs he averaged in his previous two campaigns.

Yankees could save money on veteran star Santana

As for Santana, the 15-year veteran hit 23 homers, delivered 71 RBIs and slashed .238/.328/.420 at the plate for the Twins last season. He also walked 65 times, which ranked 11th among all American League hitters last time out.

Alex Wilson of Empire Sports Media predicted Walker could land a three-year, $30 million contract in free agency. This is deserved based on the one-year, $10.9 million deal he signed with the D-Backs ahead of the 2024 campaign, in concert with the slight regression he experienced offensively.

Meanwhile, Wilson envisions Santana could receive a one-year, $6 million offer. The Dominican talent last signed a one-year deal worth $5.25 million with the Twins before the start of last season. His first career Gold Glove Award could increase his bargaining power at the bargaining table and lead to a raise.

As for where the Yankees In all of this, the franchise’s priority is retaining superstar slugger Juan Soto in his highly anticipated free agency, even if it costs them the more than $600 million he expects to get on the open market. After that, they would benefit from facing Walker if they want to boast a player five years younger with three years of show-stopping defense.

Or, they could bring in Santana, whose bat is well-respected around the league. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will ultimately need to find a solid piece for their infield in line with other roster moves they want to make before 2025.