Juan Soto’s services appear to be available to the highest bidder in 2025 and beyond.
The New York Yankees outfielder told reporters before New York’s game against the San Diego Padres on Saturday that his representation “doesn’t close the door on anyone” regarding his impending free agency following the 2024 MLB season .
He made it clear that he was willing to talk to “anyone who wants to talk about deals and other things” and that he was “open to talking to anyone.”
This follows reports last week that Soto was “open to in-season negotiations” with the New York Yankees. He was acquired by the team before the 2024 season in a trade with the Padres that was a risky move considering Soto could hit free agency after just a single year in the Bronx.
We can safely say that the first returns are promising. Soto is hitting .312/.409/.563 with 13 homers and 41 RBIs. He’s currently the favorite to win the AL MVP, according to DraftKings, and has helped the Yankees get off to a 35-17 start that puts the team in first place in a talented AL East.
While signing Soto to a lucrative deal seems like a no-brainer, the Yankees’ massive payroll is an obstacle. The team has already entered the season with the second-highest payroll in the league behind the New York Mets.
The Yankees are already set to pay a hefty luxury tax with Soto’s current $31 million total in 2024, and he’s poised to get a huge contract given his excellent play throughout his career .
New York is already paying Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole over $300 million in contracts and those contracts will continue after Soto signs his next deal. The Yankees could attempt to implement the deferred money strategy the Los Angeles Dodgers used during Shohei Ohtani’s last offseason, but Soto would have to agree to those terms.
News Source : syndication.bleacherreport.com
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