The last thing the New York Yankees want is for Washington Nationals star slugger Juan Soto to join an AL East rival. The Nationals may be looking to trade him at the deadline after he rejected a $440 million offer that would pay him about $29.3 million per season.
Soto is worth every penny at just 23 years old. Considering Aaron Judge is looking for a contract extension that will pay him upward of $35 million per season at 30 years old, there’s no question a Soto has potentially even more value.
Last season, the Nationals’ superstar hit .313 with a 46.5% on-base rate, 29 homers, and 95 RBIs. He had a career-high 34 homers back in 2019 and is on pace to break that mark this year with 20 at the All-Star break.
- Yankees claim veteran reliever off of waivers to boost bullpen depth
- Yankees have an overlooked infield prospect making exciting changes at the plate
- Yankees’ Brian Cashman points to major vulnerabilities on the roster
Soto would be a menace in Yankee Stadium:
In Yankee Stadium, there’s even more potential for him to hit long balls, specifically with the short right porch. However, he’s capable of hitting homers to every part of the field, and if he can increase his pull rate a little bit more, there’s no question he would smash his personal best with ease. Nonetheless, there’s nothing Soto needs to do to change his offensive game, displaying incredible power in the Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole spoke about Soto and his qualities. He detailed a specific moment Soto launched an opposite-field homer against him while Cole was still with Houston.
“He backsided a two-strike fastball about 445 feet the opposite way,” Cole said during Monday’s All-Star Workout media session. “It was on the outside corner. That makes him pretty special.”
“And then the discipline. His awareness of the strike zone, at least in that series, was on par with some of the Matt Carpenter you’ve been seeing lately. So those two traits … massive power and great discipline.”
Cole made it known that he hopes Soto stays away from the Yankees’ top rivals in the AL East, notably the Boston Red Sox.
“You know where I really don’t want him going? I don’t want him going up to Boston. But if he’s going to go, I want him to come to us. He’s going to be a generational great, so whatever organization gets him, if they do indeed trade him, is going to be in a good spot if they can keep him for the next 10 years.”
When Cole is raving about a player you know he’s serious:
When Cole is giving such high remarks about a player, you listen. If Gerrit understands how special Soto is, you better believe the Yankees front office comprehends what his value can be at just 23 years old.
You can make a strong argument that Soto is worth at least three of the Yankees’ top prospects. That would include Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, Jasson Dominguez, and more. Of course, Cashman would be mortgaging the team’s future on one player, but there’s no guarantee those prospects will turn into something special down the road.
In addition, you can’t combine several player statistics to match or equal another since they will produce far different metrics. Soto’s ability to get on base is next to none, and the Yankees would put themselves in a prime spot to win a World Series with him on the roster.
However, there’s a debate to be had about the starting rotation and if Cashman would rather spend assets on Luis Castillo instead of putting the team’s long-term future at risk.