The New York Yankees like their chances of bringing back superstar free agent slugger Juan Soto this offseason. Like might be an understatement, though.
Yankees are teeming with confidence in chances to resign Juan Soto
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and his front office are more than enthused that the Dominican talent will return to the Bronx, NY., after reaching the World Series in 2024, saying this (h/t CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson and Matt Snyder):
“Steinbrenner and his baseball people are also said to be “gung-ho” about Soto, their top winter priority, who hit 41 home runs, posted a .989 OPS and helped them into their first World Series in 15 years with his heroic home run at Cleveland. And the Yankees, as MLB’s perennial revenue leader, certainly have a chance. They also can make an appealing case, even beyond what Soto experienced,” Heyman wrote.
Yankees have stiff competition in the Soto sweepstakes
Currently, the Yankees are trying to fend off the New York Mets and their owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets. They also have the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers who have all met or will meet with the 26-year-old this fall. On top of that, the Phillies are entering the mix with a triad of his former Washington Nationals bosom buddies that could lure him further down the Eastern seaboard.
- The Yankees have a legit in-house solution at second base
- Yankees ‘100% commited’ to $600+ million bidding war for Juan Soto
- Yankees’ owner Hal Steinbrenner hints at ‘upgrades’ this off-season
Nevertheless, New York was the place to be throughout the 2024 campaign. That was largely due to Soto as well as his superstar teammate Aaron Judge spearheading the Yankees. That top-shelf duo, in conjunction with their elite roster, playoff success and the lifestyle and market New York has to offer are major reasons for baseball’s most storied franchise to be confident in themselves.
That being said, Soto will do his due diligence before making a decision.