A senior MLB insider believes that the New York Yankees will not pay all it takes to re-sign Juan Soto in the winter, and that there is a deadline.
Despite dropping two of three games over the weekend to rivals the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees still have baseball’s best record at 51-24. The squad has had an excellent start to the season, and many players deserve praise; yet, there is no doubting Juan Soto’s significant contribution to their success.
The former Padres and Nationals player leads the league in on-base percentage and is in the top ten or higher in average, slugging percentage, home runs, and runs batted, not only in the American League but throughout Major League Baseball. The 26-year-old is having a career year just in time for his big move into free agency following this season.
All indications are that the Yankees want to keep the outfielder, but he and his agent Scott Boras are fully prepared to test his market value. Former Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani was paid $700 million by the Los Angeles Dodgers late last year, and some in the league believe Soto may receive a contract worth more than $600 million.
However, despite the fact that the New York Yankees are one of baseball’s wealthiest clubs, USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale feels there is a price demand Juan Soto could make that the franchise will be unable to meet.
“I think if Aaron Judge had said ‘I’ve got to have over $400 million’ they would have said see you later,” Nightengale told Sportsnaut. “I think there’s a point where it gets too much. Let us be honest. If Soto had been doing what he is doing in New York, he would have stayed in San Diego. He underperformed there. Put up tremendous numbers while they were out of the race, but was a disappointment during his tenure there. What Juan Soto are you getting? “A lot of guys put up with being numbers during their walk year.”
While this does not bode well for the Yankees’ chances of re-signing Soto, Nightengale does not expect the same bidding war for Soto that drove the price sky high for Ohtani.
“Aside from the Yankees and Mets, who will bid on this guy? Could the Giants? Maybe, but they do not want to be utilized. “I don’t see anyone else,” he explained. “If you’re the Yankees, are you going to pay him much more than $360 million? That is Aaron Judge’s contract. The face of the franchise, and probably the best player in baseball. The Mets could ask for a greater sum. This is not a bidding war. Only a few teams will be involved. It’s like having a mansion in a mid-sized neighbourhood. “How many people can afford this thing?”
The key issue is, how far will New York go to keep the outfielder in the Bronx? Nightengale believes $600 million is out of the question. Will they pay $500 million, which is more than $100 million more than they have invested in Judge, who already has the most lucrative contract in franchise history? This should be a fascinating winter.
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