The New York Yankees have a big priority when the offseason comes, and that is to retain superstar outfielder Juan Soto for the long haul to pair him with fellow megastar Aaron Judge in pursuit of championships.
MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees, juan soto Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY SportsVincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The Yankees and Mets will likely be the biggest Soto suitors
The Yankees won’t be alone in the Soto sweepstakes, however, as the crosstown rival New York Mets seem eager to pull the star out of the Bronx and into Queens. ESPN’s Jeff Passan agrees that the likeliest of suitors for the 26-year-old outfielder will come down to both New York teams.
“In Soto’s case, the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and both Los Angeles teams could likely afford him but are long shots to make a real push. Seattle could use him but will be scared off by the money,” Passan wrote. “At the end of the day, high-ranking front office and ownership-level sources believe the winter for Soto is going to play out like this: Yankees vs. Mets. Behemoth vs. behemoth.”
The Yankees cannot afford to lose Soto in free agency
Soto is having the best season of his illustrious career so far in his first season wearing pinstripes. He has already set a new career-high in home runs before the start of September with 37 on the year, and his 1.027 OPS only trails Judge for the best in baseball. His impact has been felt tremendously in a lineup that struggled to produce without a second star alongside Judge last season.
As a result, the Yankees are in a great position to finally end the 15-year title drought as they enter Tuesday with the second-best record in MLB. They cannot afford to lose Soto, nevertheless to the crosstown rival. The fans adore him and have showered him with love each time he steps onto the field, and it was emphasized even more when the Yankee Stadium faithful broke out a chant of “Re-sign Soto!” Sunday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies.
The Yankees have money to give Soto an ultra-lucrative deal, but they have also stated clearly that they will need to shed some payroll eventually, which means a Soto extension is not a guarantee. The outfielder is projected to make one of the biggest contracts in the history of the sport, and it is even more likely that only Shohei Ohtani will have a richer deal by the time Soto inks a deal.
Other player’s contracts expiring may help the Yankees afford to bring back Soto
However, the Yankees have several key contracts coming off of their books when the offseason hits, which will help them afford to bring back Soto without suffering financially long-term. Additional impending free agents may not be able to re-sign, most notably Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes, but if it allows them to retain Soto then it would be worth that sacrifice.
Free agency is purely speculative until the offseason actually begins, so rumors surrounding Soto’s whereabouts regarding his future will continue to swirl for the next couple of months. By the time the winter rolls around, the Yankees and the Mets could be in for an all-out bidding war for a generational talent.
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