Getty Yankees star Juan Soto
All right, we know Yankees star Juan Soto is good. The numbers at the plate are jaw-dropping, whether it is his power, his ability to make contact, or his pitch discipline–they all show up big-time in his stats. He hit 41 homers and knocked in 109 runs, with a slash line of .288/.419/.569.
Soto only just turned 26, and he’s been posting these kinds of numbers in the big leagues for seven years now.
That’s why, of course, when it comes to the free-agent market this winter, Soto is expected to break the bank, with the Yankees bent on keeping him and the Mets intent on getting him to Queens, as a handful of others–some combination of the Dodgers, Nationals, Giants, Phillies, and Blue Jays–will participate in the bidding, too.
But, as the Yankees learned over the course of their five-game loss to the Dodgers in the World Series this year, there’s more to the game than slugging. And that’s where there may be slight concerns on Soto, as MLB.com noted this week.
Juan Soto’s Defense, Baserunning Questioned
Writing in an article titled, “Juan Soto’s top suitors, contract projections, comps & more,” this week as the league’s general managers meetings take place in Texas, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand notes that running the bases and playing defense remain weak spots for Soto, even as his offensive dominance is clear.
Yes, the bat is huge, but, “When it comes to defense and baserunning, the same can’t be said, however. Soto posted -5 outs above average in 2024 (14th percentile), giving him a -28 mark for his career. His baserunning is also below-average, though his proficiency at the plate shouldn’t make either of these areas a huge concern for clubs pursuing this generational talent.”
Indeed, the fact remains that, even with subpar baserunning skills–Soto has 57 steals and has been caught stealing 23 times–and iffy defense, Soto will warrant a deal north of $600 million.
Yankees GM Sounds off on Situation
Brian Cashman, the GM of the Yankees, offered his view of the Soto situation this week, understanding fully that the Mets would be his chief competition to keep him in place.
“It’s hard to say,” Cashman said, via MLB.com. “They want to win. 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. The best way to do that is to import quality players to what you already have. That’s what we, they, and anybody interested in winning and being the last team standing, that’s what it’s all about.
“That’s just the nature of the beast. Big-market owners with deep pockets aren’t the only ones signing players to big deals. You’ve seen the San Diego Padres sitting out in the West Coast, they’ve imported a lot of big-time players and big-time contracts that they’ve out-competed other teams of interest for. It comes in various forms from various cities at various times. The market on a year-in, year-out basis is coming from all different aspects of the baseball universe, so we do our best to compete with whomever on a year-in, year-out basis.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including "Fun City," "Before Wrigley became Wrigley," and "Facing Michael Jordan." More about Sean Deveney
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