Juan Soto was a big-ticket acquisition during the offseason for the New York Yankees. However, the blockbuster trade wasn’t finalized with the agreement that Soto will be sticking around for the next five plus years. Soto’s contract ends by the end of his first campaign with New York, so will he decide to stick around long-term, or will this just be a one-year rental?
The contract negotiations were expected to be very difficult for a few different reasons. The most important one is that the Yankees are a little strapped for cash, and Soto is likely to demand a large payday. I mean, many believe that he’ll be searching for $500 million in any type of contract regardless of the team. That could very easily force him to leave the Yankees if they can’t even get close to that number.
When asked about his upcoming contract, he said, “I just believe in Scott. He’s been with me since I was a little kid and been helping me out with everything.” Scott, for those that don’t know, is Scott Boras, Soto’s long-time agent. And Boras has picked up a reputation for not taking discounts on his players. He knows Soto’s worth and will negotiate for that price.
To those that aren’t sure if he’s worth a contract of that magnitude, he definitely is. The numbers speak for themselves, he’s a three-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and a World Series Champion at the age of 25. Teams are going to be at his doorstep to try and reel him in.
Juan Soto Departure Would Be Disappointing
While it’s also easy to think that the addition of Soto will be worth it regardless of if he leaves or not after this season, that’s not the case. If Soto leaves the franchise after this season, and the team doesn’t win a World Series, they’d be set back a good amount.
After all, they had to give up Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Kyle Higashioka in order to land Soto in the first place. All of that talent handed away, just to have a disappointing season would be a crusher for the Yankees mentally.
Luckily for them, they don’t have to worry about that until later. Soto is a Yankee for the year and both he and the club will aim their sights at winning a championship. They are hopeful that they can persuade him to stick around by the time this year comes to a close, especially with how impressed he’s been with their other superstar, Aaron Judge.
