In a perfect world, the Yankees would have 25-year-old superstar slugger Juan Soto locked up on a long-term extension. However, general manager Brian Cashman acquired Soto for one year in his final year of arbitration, paying him $31 million for the 2024 season.
Soto has one goal in mind: a dominant year with the Yankees and leveraging that for a monster contract. The expectation is that Soto will earn a deal upward to $450 million over a minimum of 10 years, so the Yankees certainly have to be willing to splash the cash for a player of this magnitude.
Soto’s Spring Training Performance and Extension Talks With the Yankees
Fortunately, if they sign Soto to a 10-year deal next season, he would still be younger than Josh Donaldson was when the Bombers acquired him from the Minnesota Twins two years ago.
Soto has been lighting up spring training and giving the Yankees every ounce of confidence to make a major offer for him next off-season. Over four games, Soto has hit .667/.727/1.889, including three home runs and seven RBIs with an 18.2% walk rate.
Both Cashman and Soto are on the same page when it comes to potential extensions, waiting until after the upcoming campaign to begin discussing options. However, Soto recently told The Athletic that he’s leaving it all up to super-agent Scott Boras, who has taken good care of him since he was just a youngster.
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The Role of Scott Boras and Soto’s Future
“I just believe in Scott (Boras, his agent). He’s been with me since I was a little kid and been helping me out with everything.”
Of course, Boras is one of the league’s biggest agents and is known for his ability to generate record-breaking contracts. The Yankees know they will have to pay up beyond their comfort zone, but a player like Soto doesn’t come around very often and Hal Steinbrenner is in the money making business, something that Soto can certainly help him do.
For the Yankees, nothing makes them more money than winning and drawing new eyes, which Soto will certainly provide with his generational bat and confident persona.
Cashman has developed a roster this off-season that should have World Series aspirations, given their bill of health remains clean. With that being said, the Yankees have another long season starting up in late March and their new newly built outfield should play a prominent role in their success.