TAMPA, Fla. — Because the Yankees anticipate Juan Soto to swimsuit up for his first swings in pinstripes, they’re additionally making ready for the likelihood that there’s an expiration date on the famous person’s keep within the Bronx, anticipating that he’ll attain the free-agent market after the season.
Thus, they plan to roll out the purple carpet each day for the 25-year-old outfielder, making a season-long take a look at drive for what a prolonged future within the Bronx may seem like.
“We acknowledged once we went into this example that the chances are that it’s a one-year state of affairs earlier than free company,” Yankees normal supervisor Brian Cashman instructed MLB Community’s Jon Paul Morosi. “Definitely, that may change, I suppose, however the odds are definitely in opposition to that. He’s this near free company. I don’t see too many issues stopping him from hitting free company.
“So we’re simply trying to see if we collectively can crush it collectively, have an incredible stroll yr and [have] him put up the numbers he’s able to placing up with the solid of characters that we’re going to encompass him with. See if all of us can have a superb time after which have a dialog thereafter.”
The Yankees acquired Soto from the Padres through the MLB Winter Conferences in early December, sending a five-player package deal to San Diego: pitchers Jhony Brito, Michael King, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez, plus catcher Kyle Higashioka, in alternate for Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham.
A 3-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Soto is together with his third group, a rarity for a participant who has garnered statistical comparisons to Ted Williams and is considered on a Corridor of Fame observe.
The Nationals dealt Soto in August 2022 after their reported 15-year, $440 million contract extension supply was rejected, and San Diego was unable to achieve traction in any efforts to succeed in an extension with Soto and his agent, Scott Boras.
In a December Zoom convention, Soto stated that he plans to depart any negotiations to Boras, calling him “the most effective brokers within the league” and noting, “I’ll put every part on him and let him do his magic.”
Soto will earn $31 million this season after avoiding wage arbitration by agreeing to a one-year pact with the Yankees. That makes him the fourth-highest-paid participant on the roster, behind Aaron Decide ($40 million), Gerrit Cole ($36 million) and Giancarlo Stanton ($32 million).
Cashman stated that he doesn’t anticipate any extension talks to transpire earlier than the top of the season, noting that he additionally has not engaged with infielder Gleyber Torres a few new deal.
“He’s our second baseman for this yr, and I haven’t had any conversations about something previous that,” Cashman stated of Torres.
Soto is considered one of a number of potential free brokers on the ’24 Yankees, together with Torres, outfielder Alex Verdugo, nearer Clay Holmes and reliever Tommy Kahnle.
“We went into this [Soto trade] recognizing it’s most probably a one-year [situation], and it didn’t scare us off,” Cashman stated. “I believe different groups checked out it like, ‘I don’t need to surrender a lot for a man for one.’ We’re like, ‘We’re going to safe the one and fear concerning the others at one other time.’”
Cashman instructed that Soto’s experiences over the subsequent a number of months may play an element within the membership’s capability to increase or re-sign him, noting, “[If] he appears to essentially find it irresistible, possibly we’ll create that environment the place that door can get knocked on.”
Regardless, Cashman stated that the left-right combo of Soto and Decide on the high of the lineup guarantees to make the Yankees an offensive pressure to be reckoned with.
“Regardless of figuring out that the sensible choice might be free company, regardless, we’re excited to have him,” Cashman stated. “It’s very uncommon to get an opportunity to have a participant of this caliber in your membership, and so we’ve obtained him. He’s a New York Yankee, and we’re going to profit from that point with him as a participant.”
