Yankees GM Gives Unispiring Update on Juan Soto as he Confirms Mets Interest

Getty Yankees GM gives uninspiring update on Juan Soto.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman gave an uninspiring update on Juan Soto at the GM meetings.

Soto is the top free agent available and the Yankees have made it clear they want to bring him back. No deal was reached before free agency as Soto is the top free agent available.

However, Cashman says he will try to re-sign Soto but says the Yankees may be forced to go in a different direction.

“I had a conversation with (agent) Scott Boras yesterday,” Cashman said… “We certainly have an interest in retaining him and we’ll put our best foot forward there. But at the same time, that’ll either lead to us retaining him and signing him back or we’ll be forced to go in a different direction if we can’t. If we can’t, there’s a lot of different players in this marketplace that can positively impact this roster.”

A possible reason why Cashman and the Yankees may have to go in a different direction is because of the New York Mets. The Yankees GM confirmed the Mets have interest and plan to do anything to get him.

“I know they want to win,” Cashman said. “They’re in a large market with us. They had a taste of success this year and they want to move the needle even more forward. So, the best way to do that is to import quality players to what you already have. So that’s what we, they, and anybody interested in winning and being the last team standing, that’s what it’s all about is trying to find great players and add it to your mix.”

Soto hit .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs in 157 games with the Yankees last season.

Yankees GM Says Small Market Teams Are Also in on Soto

Although the Yankees and Mets are the front runners to land Soto, Cashman says several teams have interest in the star outfielder.

Cashman says small market teams are also interested in signing Soto, which could make it hard to bring him back.

“I think that’s just the nature of the beast, and big market owners with deep pockets aren’t the only ones signing players to big deals,” Cashman said. “I mean, you’ve seen the San Diego Padres sitting out on the West Coast, they’ve imported a lot of big-time players with big-time contracts that they’ve outcompeted other teams of interest for.

“It comes in various forms in various cities at various times. The market on a year-in and year-out basis is strong from all different aspects of the baseball universe. We do our best to compete with whomever on a year-in and year-out basis.”

Soto could get upwards of $700 million in free agency.

What will Soto Get in Free Agency?

Soto is expected to get a multi-year deal, likely over 10 years, and could be near $700 million.

In MLBTradeRumors’ contract prediction, they have Soto signing a 13-year $600 million deal.

“There’s little doubt Soto will sign a contract of at least a decade in length,” the article wrote. “The question becomes one of how long a team will be willing to go at what figures to be a new record average annual value (setting aside Shohei Ohtani’s overwhelmingly deferred $700MM contract, which came with an NPV closer to $43.7MM, using the MLBPA’s number). A 12-year deal would pay Soto through age-37. But, it’s not out of the question that a team will go later into his career than that.”

The Athletic, meanwhile, predicts Soto will sign a 15-year $622 million deal.

Soto hit .327 with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs in the playoffs with the Yankees.