New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto is on track to become a free agent next offseason, and his recent comments on the situation may make Yankees fans a bit nervous.
“We’re going to be open to listening to anybody and everybody,” Soto said, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “We’re not closing any doors. Whoever wants to talk about deals, I’m open.”
Of course this is an obvious statement to make. Soto is not going to lose leverage by saying, “Yes, I am 100 percent going to re-sign with the Yankees.” Let's also not forget that he is a Scott Boras client, so this quote is not the least bit surprising given the circumstances.
However, the Yankees faithful has already grown very attached to Soto, and he is only two months into his stay in the Bronx.
Soto has seemed to fully embrace New York, as well.
But, the 25-year-old may very well earn a contract worth well over $500 million in free agency, and when you take Hal Steinbrenner's statement about his concerns over the Yankees' payroll into consideration, things may get tricky next December.
Juan Soto is surely just focused on the 2024 season
The fact that Soto is being peppered with questions about free agency when it's only May has to be pretty annoying for him.
Soto clearly knows that he is in the last year of his deal. He definitely understands that he will be the most sought-after free agent in baseball after the 2024 campaign concludes. But can we just allow him to play baseball for the Yankees this season? Or at least for more than two months?
New York acquired Soto in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres last December after it became apparent that the Padres were not going to be able to re-sign him.
People wondered how the outfielder would handle the bright lights of the Big Apple, but he has responded by slashing .312/.409/.563 with 13 home runs and 41 RBI over his first 52 games in pinstripes. Not only that, but he has been playing a tremendous right field, posting an 8.5 UZR/150. That is a huge deviation from Soto's career norms, as he has historically been a bad defender.
Soto has also ingratiated himself with Yankees fans and is frequently seen engaging with them throughout the game.
It seems pretty evident that the Bronx Bombers will be at the top of Soto's list going into free agency, but, as with anything else, money is a factor. Teams like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers have deep pockets, so they could step in and try to outbid the Yanks.
The Yankees have already handed out contracts in excess of $300 million to Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, so Steinbrenner may not feel all that comfortable adding a massive $500 million deal on to his already inflated payroll.
That being said, it just seems hard to imagine Soto departing the Yankees. He has fit perfectly with the squad, and it has gotten to a point where I could actually envision him taking a bit less money to remain with the ballclub.
We'll see what happens down the line, but for now, let's just enjoy Soto's brilliance in the Bronx.
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