MLB free agency has gotten off to a slow start, but that's mostly because everyone is wondering where outfielder Juan Soto is headed. Will he re-sign with the New York Yankees or bolt from the Bronx for a new club?
Soto's impact on the Yankees was obvious this season. The Bombers missed the 2023 postseason after finishing with a disappointing 82-80 record. They acquired the 26-year-old via trade with the San Diego Padres last December in hopes he'd revive the offense alongside a healthy Aaron Judge.
That's exactly what happened. Both Soto and Judge were named American League MVP Award finalists and formed one of the best lineup tandems we've seen in a long time. Soto produced a .989 OPS with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and 128 runs scored in 713 plate appearances. He played in all but five regular season games for the Yankees, who finished with an AL-best 94-68 record. They also reached the World Series for the first time since 2009.
The left-handed slugger has gotten a taste of what success in the Bronx could be like. Will he opt to try experiencing more of that or head elsewhere for the next decade-plus of his career?
JustBaseball's Ryan Finkelstein thinks Soto will try to win a World Series in New York but in a different borough. While sharing his contract and team predictions for 20 top free agents on Wednesday, Finkelstein said Soto is headed to Queens for the remainder of his career.
"My prediction of Soto signing a 15-year, $645 million deal, would break out to $43 million per year, which would trail Ohtani, but the present-day value would trounce him by around $200 million," he wrote. "Is Soto really worth an extra $200 million? When he gets five more years, yes he is. The winning bid for Soto could very well come down to years, and ultimately the Mets might be the one team crazy enough to go to 15 years if it means getting their guy."
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