The New York Yankees want to re-sign Juan Soto after watching him wear pinstripes with pride in 2024, returning fantastic results both on and off the field. It’s hard to argue with a .988 OPS, 128 runs scored, 41 home runs, and more than a few clutch plays and home runs.
However, bringing him back will probably require an outstanding financial commitment, one that the Yankees might not be prepared to assume.
Rumors circulating around the league and among many sources and insiders is that the Boston Red Sox are gaining steam as a top competitor for Soto’s services. Reporters say they are very serious in their efforts and are willing to go the extra mile if it means they can ‘steal’ Soto away from the Yankees.
The Yanks, therefore, appear to be losing ground in the battle for Soto. Danny Abriano of SNY wrote this on Saturday, quoting Yankees reporter Randy Miller:
“Randy Miller of NJ dot com was on WFAN about an hour ago to discuss the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Believes it will come down to Red Sox and Mets. Said he would be surprised if Soto took any type of discount to return to the Yankees.”
The Yankees are starting to lose ground
Miller explained that he believes the Yankees will finish fourth in the Soto sweepstakes and that they will top out at $550 million. If that’s the case, they have virtually no chance of retaining the superstar talent.
Miller believes that Soto already has multiple $600+ million offers on the table and none of them is from the Yankees.
Both the Red Sox and the Mets will offer significantly more than that, and if the reports are true, one of them will get the All-Star.
History taught us never to say never, but it’s increasingly likely that the Yankees won’t be able to re-sign their man.