Whenever a big fish rose to the surface of the MLB pond, the New York Yankees would immediately be there with bait and fishing pole in hand. Things have changed a bit, however. Despite still being among the highest payrolls in baseball, there is no longer a guarantee they will be all-in for the latest available superstar. But Juan Soto is going to be difficult to pass up.

Since it was reported that the San Diego Padres are planning to significantly cut costs and therefore could be willing to deal the 25-year-old (free agent in 2025), the Yankees have been speculated as a possible dance partner. Their need for a left-handed bat and an outfielder makes them a practical fit, assuming the organization is willing to sacrifice assets and potentially $400 million.

There is no need to jump that far ahead just yet, however. The two teams have reportedly not engaged in recent talks about the 2019 World Series champion.

Will Yankees and Padres be fully committed to Juan Soto trade?

“While the Yankees like Padres superstar Juan Soto, they have yet to speak to San Diego about him this winter (they did talk at the deadline),” The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote on Thursday. “The Padres reportedly need to cut $50 million, but last year they weren’t going to raise the payroll and wound up pursuing Aaron Judge and Trea Turner before signing Xander Bogaerts. Owner Peter Seidler wants to win.”

SNY's Andy Martino reported that the two sides did have preliminary discussions about Soto in the offseason, but perhaps Heyman is referring to serious trade talks in his writing. There is plenty of time for things to escalate.

Though, the MLB insider does make an important point. San Diego could decide to keep the three-time All-Star and potentially re-evaluate the situation ahead of the trade deadline. In which case, the Yankees would be forced to think smaller or look in-house to fill their holes. Regardless of how these rumors shape out, this offseason is a critical one.