The New York Yankees are likely the favorites to sign the projected $650 million superstar, Juan Soto, this winter.
After a week of meetings, the list of real Soto suitors should be narrowed down to five or six teams. As of now, the only teams to meet with Soto in person are the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the aforementioned Yankees.
Yankees' owner Hal Steinbrenner was in New York's meeting with Soto and he spoke with members of the media on Wednesday to discuss how it went.
"Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York," Steinbrenner said Wednesday in the lobby of MLB's offices where the owners meetings are being held this week. "He's definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I've got ears. I know what's expected of me. So, look, it's been a priority. We wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn't."
But Steinbrenner never really sounded too confident that Soto would be back in Pinstripes in 2025. Actually, he sounded pretty unsure.
"No idea," Steinbrenner said when asked about his confidence in re-signing the star outfielder. "We'll be in the mix. I'll leave it at that."
The top competition for Soto is expected to be Steve Cohen and the Mets. Cohen is known for being the richest owner in baseball, which is obviously something that comes into play in the Soto sweepstakes.
"I could say that about a couple other owners too," Steinbrenner said when asked about Cohen's spending power. "Or corporations, for that matter, that represent the ownership group. So, I mean, of course it's a concern."
I'm sure Yankees fans would be a lot more comfortable if Steinbrenner voiced more confidence than this. The Steinbrenner family isn't known to be very open to letting their superstars leave in free agency.
Only time will tell where Soto will end up.
More MLB: Yankees' $660 Million Superstar Juan Soto Projected To Cut Ties For Bigger Deal With Mets
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