Featured Columnist IVNovember 6, 2024
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New York Yankees basic supervisor Brian Cashman indicated Wednesday that he’s ready to make a powerful play to retain famous person outfielder Juan Soto in free company.
In response to the Related Press (h/t ESPN), Soto acknowledged that whereas different choices can be found to him in free company, he intends to do all he can in an effort to hold Soto in pinstripes:
“We actually have an curiosity in retaining him and we’ll put our greatest foot ahead there. That may both result in us retaining him and signing him again or we’ll be pressured to go to a distinct route if we won’t. And if we won’t, there’s a variety of totally different gamers on this market that may positively impression this roster in numerous methods. Clearly that strain level’s not on us at present, nevertheless it does exist within the market each winter, so these are the powerful selections you must make.”
The Yankees acquired Soto in a blockbuster commerce with the San Diego Padres final offseason, and he went on to have arguably the most effective season of his profession, main the Yanks to a World Sequence look.
In his solely season with the Yankees so far, Soto slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 residence runs, 109 RBI and 128 runs scored. He additionally hit .327 with 4 homers and 9 RBI in 14 playoff video games.
Soto is prone to end third within the American League MVP voting behind teammate Aaron Decide and Kansas Metropolis Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and he’s prone to take residence a Silver Slugger Award as nicely.
The benchmark for MLB contracts at the moment is the 10-year, $700 million deal Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers final offseason.
Whereas it might be tough for Soto to achieve that quantity for the reason that Dodgers signed Ohtani based mostly on each his hitting and pitching, Soto only in the near past turned 26 years previous, so his age may work in his favor.
The Yankees confirmed a willingness to pay up in an effort to hold a famous person final offseason, re-signing Decide on a nine-year, $360 million contract.
They already let a number of different notable gamers hit free company, together with Gleyber Torres, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo, which suggests the Yankees could also be build up a conflict chest of funds to make use of on a brand new Soto deal.
Cashman has been in talks with Scott Boras, who will not be solely Soto’s agent, but in addition that of first baseman Pete Alonso, who Cashman admitted to discussing.
Alonso would undoubtedly be the highest backup plan accessible in free company if the Yankees cannot re-sign Soto, as the previous New York Mets slugger has crushed 226 residence runs in six MLB seasons, together with 34 in 2024.
Whereas Alonso would offer Decide with some stable safety within the Yankees’ lineup, the mix of Decide and Soto was arguably the most effective one-two punch in baseball this previous season.
Other than cash and the chance to win, Decide’s presence may conceivably be the most important draw for Soto to stay with the Yanks.
It’s possible that solely a restricted quantity of groups can afford to pay Soto the kind of compensation he’s on the lookout for and deserves, and even fewer can present him with safety the extent of Decide, who has hit a mixed 157 residence runs over the previous three seasons.
There may be little doubt that re-signing Soto is the Yankees’ finest path to success in 2025 and past, and Cashman seems able to make an enormous run at holding the Soto-Decide duo collectively.
