NEW YORK – On Wednesday night, the New York Yankees quickly became one of 30 teams that could get Juan Soto’s employer to pay him merit pay next year.
Soto, a 26-year-old slugger and baseball’s most coveted free agent this winter, has a solid chance to remain with the Yankees with a bid likely in excess of $500 million, but his decision has made it abundantly clear that it is almost certain. Unlike his power-hitting partner Aaron Judge.
The Yankees moved relatively quickly to re-sign Judge, who hit 53 home runs, to a nine-year, $360 million contract in 2022. But Judge was always a Yankee, a native and soon to be captain.
Soto? He won a World Series championship at age 21, was traded to the Washington Nationals by age 23, and re-signed with the Yankees before this season. In just a few years, you’ll be making head-spinning moves for the rest of your life.
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And yes, the marriage was almost perfect. Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs with a .989 OPS, giving Judge a run for his AL MVP award, and then dominated the postseason with a .327 average and four home runs. , a 1.102 OPS and a pennant-clinching home run.
But it all ended in Game 5 of the World Series, a 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that resulted in Soto being ejected early Thursday morning.
His Yankees teammates are eager to have him back. Soto?
“I think every team has the same chance that I had going into free agency,” he said after Game 5 at Yankee Stadium.
But it’s the excitement of New York, the legend that comes with being a Yankee, the incredible partnership with Judge and the love he claims he feels in his home clubhouse and for his teammates that Soto prefers New York. It’s creating emotions, right?
“I don’t think so,” Soto said unflinchingly. “I’m really happy with the city and the team, but ultimately I’m going to look at every situation and every offer I receive and take it from there.
“I don’t know which team wants to come after me, but I’m open to this team or any team. There’s no door closed or anything like that. I’m open to all 30 teams. We intend to respond to
Well, the Tampa Bay Rays or Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t going to acquire Soto. His market is realistically only six teams, with clubs like San Francisco and Toronto still hungry to make their mark in free agency, and Philadelphia always being the living dog, with agent Scott Mr Boras will address the public at a general meeting next week. At a manager’s meeting, a small, mysterious team appears.
With that in mind, casting the Yankees as one of only 30 players may be a little uncomfortable for fans who fell in love with Soto this year and realized how important he is to their future. I don’t know.
Not to mention his teammates.
“We’re lucky to have him here and it would be great to continue playing with him,” Judge said. He probably enjoyed his best all-around season with Soto batting first.
“I think everyone in this room wants to have him back because he’s a special player. In addition to looking at the stats, I think he’s the type of leader he is in this clubhouse and people want to get him back. A lot of little things that go unnoticed make him one of the best players in the game, if not the best.
“He’s a scientist out there. I’m sure you’ll want to see him in pinstripes for a long time.”
For now, Soto plans to sit with Team Boras and wait. Boras’ clients are notorious for signing well into the free agency process, and Soto won’t have to miss a large portion of spring training like the so-called Boras Four did this year, but he’ll be on the market. I’m happy to receive it.
This wasn’t good news for the Yankees, who certainly knew they couldn’t strike first. As expected, the question for them is how much they want him.
Fans have been vocal, begging management to re-sign Soto at various times this year. Did chants influence him?
“It will probably influence ownership decisions,” Soto said with a laugh. “Let’s see what happens.”
The judge said Soto should enjoy the free agency process and reap the fruits of his six years of free agency. Fellow slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who signed a $325 million extension with Miami before being traded to New York, said he could not offer Soto free agent advice.
Well, maybe just a bite.
“Will you stay with me?” he asked.
It doesn’t hurt that the Yankees won 94 games and won the American League pennant. Soto will likely go to the winning franchise as well as the highest bidder — the two are often correlated — and New York has an advantage in that regard over suitors like the Giants and Blue Jays.
But next month they will all be on a level playing field as offers are made, opposed and considered.
“It’s always great to take a champagne shower,” he says of the idea of returning from work in New York. Let’s see what happens in the offseason.
“The Yankees are one of those teams. And we go from there.”
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