The Yankees’ underlying Juan Soto message is more positive than it seems
NY Post
If you listen too closely to early rhetoric, you might get the idea the Yankees don’t feel great about their chance to retain superstar slugger Juan Soto. But that can’t really be the case.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner’s remark that their current $301 million payroll isn’t “sustainable” caused some folks to think he isn’t necessarily confident they will keep Soto. But Steinbrenner’s more relevant messages probably were the ones about how much they like Soto, how much they want to keep Soto, and, perhaps most importantly, how much money they have coming off the books.
With Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo and Clay Holmes free agents and a club option on Anthony Rizzo, they will have huge flexibility. They are committed to $225M, down from $255M to start last winter, providing plenty of room.
Though free agency is unpredictable and there could be many big-market teams in play for a generational hitter at 25 (I still prefer that to “centurion,” agent Scott Boras’ new word), the Yankees seem to believe their biggest competition may come from the Mets. (That’s what we’ve been speculating, but they presumably have their own guesses.)
The Yankees may also believe the field will be somewhat limited due to the expected record price tag for position-only players — they’re likely ready to repeat Aaron Judge’s $40M annual salary on a longer deal, though word is the ask will be higher due to age and prime years remaining.
The Yankees do hold the in-city advantages of bigger history and better roster — not to mention Soto’s ultra-positive 2024 Bronx experience. (But once again, it’s unlikely to happen in-season; Soto previously turned down seven offers.)
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Aaron Glenn was proactive.