The New York Yankees have high expectations in 2024 after an impressive offseason where they added the likes of Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo via trades. Soto is only on a one-year deal in the Bronx, which means if he doesn't play well, there's a good chance the slugger won't be in the pinstripes in 2025.
But if he does rake and help the Yankees make a deep playoff run, there's no question Brian Cashman and the front office will be trying to bring him back. In Soto's eyes, however, he wants his next contract to be his last, whether that be in the Big Apple or elsewhere.
Via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN (Quotes via NJ.com)
“At the end of the day, everybody wants to be where they’re going to finish their career,” Soto said, via Gonzalez. “This free agency was really tough for a lot of players, but I think if you ask any guy in the clubhouse, anywhere, they will be happy to be in a long-term deal and try to finish their career where they can be. That’s the best thing for me — to stay in one place and try to, whenever I do this deal, just finish in that one spot.”
Despite being one of the best players in the big leagues, Juan Soto has moved around quite a bit for a 25-year-old. He started his career with the Washington Nationals and played a massive part in their 2019 World Series title before being traded to the San Diego Padres in August of 2022. Soto's tenure in Southern California only lasted a little over one season.
Will Soto finish out career with Yankees?
There's been many superstars who come to the Bronx and fail to live up to expectations. Randy Johnson and AJ Burnett are a couple of names that come to mind. Soto didn't exactly shine with the Padres after they pulled off a blockbuster trade for him, but NY is definitely optimistic about what Soto could do at Yankee Stadium. Most notably, he'll surely be able to take advantage of the short porch in right field.
Juan Soto slashed .304 with four homers in spring training and has been a consistent hitter since the day he came into the Majors. Because of that, the Dominican will probably be wanting a deal in the $500 million ballpark next, especially considering his agent is Scott Boras, who just had a horrid offseason in terms of earning his clients the most money possible.
In February, Soto told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that he initially believed he would play for the Nationals until the day he called it quits, but that never happened. Playing for the Yankees isn't easy, especially if you don't perform. However, Soto knows what pressure is all about and appears to look comfortable in his surroundings. If the three-time All-Star shows out in 24′, it wouldn't be surprising to see him secure a long-term extension with the Bronx Bombers. Will it be half a million though? Only time will tell.
For now, the focus for Soto will be doing his part in New York making a run to the Fall Classic.
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