NEW YORK — Yankees proprietor Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that membership officers just lately met with free agent slugger Juan Soto in California, describing it as a “good assembly” that included “very trustworthy back-and-forth dialogue” with out divulging many different particulars.
“Our followers actually loved having him in New York,” Steinbrenner stated Wednesday within the foyer of MLB’s places of work the place the homeowners conferences are being held this week. “He is positively a big a part of why we received to the World Collection. I’ve received ears. I do know what’s anticipated of me. So, look, it has been a precedence. We would not have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn’t.”
Steinbrenner stated the Yankees’ delegation included common supervisor Brian Cashman, supervisor Aaron Boone, president Randy Levine, and Omar Minaya, a particular assistant to the overall supervisor. The proprietor declined to share the workforce’s pitch to Soto or if any affords had been remodeled the couple of hours, however he stated he informed Soto he would set up a relationship with the star outfielder much like the one he has with franchise cornerstones Gerrit Cole and Aaron Choose if Soto chooses to re-sign. Steinbrenner famous Soto requested in regards to the group’s participant improvement system.
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“No concept,” Steinbrenner stated when requested if he was assured the workforce would re-sign Soto. “We’ll be within the combine. I am going to depart it at that.”
Along with the Yankees, Soto has met with the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Purple Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers over the previous week. The Mets, buoyed by billionaire proprietor Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, are broadly thought-about because the Yankees’ chief competitors for Soto’s providers.
“I might say that a couple of couple different homeowners too,” Steinbrenner stated when requested about Cohen’s spending energy. “Or companies, for that matter, that signify the possession group. So, I imply, in fact it is a concern.”
The Yankees acquired Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres final December for 5 gamers. They made the commerce realizing that holding Soto, then an achieved three-time All-Star coming into his age-25 season, past one yr would require a big funding. Soto went on to boost his worth one other degree with a wonderful 2024 marketing campaign, partnering with Choose to create probably the most harmful duo in baseball.
The 26-year-old proper fielder belted a career-high 41 dwelling runs with a .288 batting common, .989 OPS, 129 walks and an American League-leading 128 runs scored. He made his fourth All-Star workforce, and his 8.1 fWAR ranked fourth within the majors. He provided the manufacturing whereas offering leisure worth with swagger and showmanship and helped lead the Yankees to their first World Collection look since 2009.
Soto’s looming free company prompted the Washington Nationals to commerce him in July 2022 after he declined a 15-year, $440 million provide and led to the Padres unloading him final yr. Now he’s anticipated to command a contract nicely over $500 million that might break data for highest present-day whole worth and present-day annual common worth. The value the Yankees are prepared to pay to signal Soto is unclear.
Final offseason, Steinbrenner stated the Yankees established a “walkaway” quantity when negotiating with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who wound up signing with the Dodgers. The proprietor stated he hasn’t “considered it” in regard to Soto.
Together with Soto’s $31 million wage in 2024, the Yankees had roughly $80 million in free brokers come off their books after carrying a $300-million-plus luxurious tax payroll. Steinbrenner reiterated that spending that a lot cash on the roster is just not tenable.
“We’re in a greater beginning place than we had been a yr in the past. There isn’t any doubt about that,” Steinbrenner stated. “Look, yr after yr after yr after yr, payrolls much like this yr and the luxurious taxes they produce usually are not sustainable. That is the case for the overwhelming majority of homeowners, perhaps all of them. 12 months after yr after yr — it does not imply in any given yr I can not do what I wish to do. I imply, we have the flexibility to signal any participant we wish to signal.”
Steinbrenner stated he did not know what the following step was within the pursuit of Soto. He stated he had “no concept” if the Yankees will meet with him once more. Whether or not the Yankees look forward to Soto to make his choice earlier than pivoting to different gamers stays to be seen.
“Have not made that call,” Steinbrenner stated. “However once more, guys are going to begin to come off the board, proper? In order that’s a dialogue that must be had.”
