Getty Juan Soto sticking his tongue out after making contact
It could only be a matter of a few days until the New York Yankees get an outlook on where Juan Soto will end up in free agency. The Yankees, an obvious suitor, are among the clubs expected to be all in on the superstar.
Soto, who recently turned 26 years old, has proven time and time again why he’s arguably the best hitter in Major League Baseball. With a combination of his production and age, Soto is in-line to get one of, if not, the biggest deal in baseball history.
Because Shohei Ohtani signed a deal with deferrals, his average annual value is around $46 million. In a recent prediction from Tim Britton of The Athletic, Soto would break that AAV record with a 13-year, $611 million deal.
“I went in-depth on Soto in early September. One thing I got wrong in that analysis is that, while Ohtani’s deferred deal with the Dodgers is valued at around $437.8 million in the present day, his average annual value is calculated at just over $46 million per season. So that’s the target for Soto.
“We saw just last winter what a bidding war involving the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets could do to drive up the price for Yoshinobu Yamamoto,” Britton wrote on November 4. “With Soto, the Giants, Blue Jays and Phillies could get involved as well. One of those teams is going to go to at least 13 years at a record AAV.”
Money Might Not be Soto’s Biggest Factor
While the New York Yankees should understand that Soto likely wouldn’t return if they offered him a $440 million deal with others are above $600 million, money might not be his biggest factor.
According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, said his clients biggest goal is to play for a winning team.
“Juan loves winning and winning organizations and a winning owner,” Boras said. “The geography part of it is that Juan and his loved ones are going to be comfortable. That’s what’s most important to him. And major league geography … Juan’s played on both: West Coast and East Coast. His main thing, the priority, is winning.”
Considering the Yankees lost in the World Series and have more rings than any team in MLB history, Soto wanting to play for a winning organization could be a big selling point in their negotiations.
“Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard, and definitely this place was really special,” Soto said after Game 5 of the World Series. “It’s been a blast for me. I’ve been really happy. If I’m here or not, I’ve been really happy for the teammates that I have and the people that I get to know. This was a really special group, but at the end of the day, we will see what’s going to happen.”
Why the Yankees Need to Re-Sign Soto
No matter the price, the New York Yankees need Soto to stay around. The difference in the Yankees’ lineup with Soto in it is night and day, as they’d be a much different team without him.
Not only did Soto have the best season of his career, slashing .288/.419/.459 with a 178 OPS+ and 41 home runs, but Aaron Judge arguably had the best year of his career, too.
Lineup protection is a big factor in how other players in the order hit, and having Soto in front or behind a hitter makes things difficult for pitchers. The Yankees benefited from that heavily in the last campaign, and would take a big hit in that department if he were to depart.
Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan
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