Yankees have Juan Soto priority at Winter Meetings — but still face other big questions
NY Post
The Yankees arrive at the Winter Meetings on Sunday knowing priority Number Juan.
The belief is Juan Soto will make his free-agency decision in the coming days, which will represent the largest domino of an offseason that has been stalled thus far.
The Yankees have taken meetings with free agents and made moves around the periphery of the 40-man roster, but they have held off on significant actions until knowing whether roughly $700 million will be committed to one of the most alluring free agents in MLB history.
The Yankees tasted life with Soto for one year, which included a regular season that ended with a third-place finish in AL MVP voting, a memorable October in which Soto typically was the best player on the field and a run that finished three wins short of a championship.
This all occurred while Soto was in his age-25 season — just like Oswaldo Cabrera and Ben Rice.
If Soto returns to The Bronx, Brian Cashman can celebrate, acknowledge the risk of trading for the walk-year superstar paid off and proceed with roster moves that would be tempered with the largest contract in baseball history on the books.
The Rangers hit the mark with their on-ice ceremony honoring Mika Zibanejad ahead of his 1,000th NHL game Monday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE — For now, Craig Kimbrel is choosing Mets purgatory.
‘Freak of nature: Zion Williamson’s resurgence could pose a Knicks problem versus motivated Pelicans
Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.
Don’t blame Mikal Bridges for his paltry stats. Blame the role.
Almost a year to the day after a goaltender interference call against Kyle Palmieri lost the Islanders a game against the Blue Jackets that started their season’s death spiral, they were on the wrong end of another controversial call against those same Blue Jackets that might have had the same effect.
On the Queens side of town, the reno began in earnest almost as soon as Francisco Lindor grounded into the 4-6-3 double play. That ended a 4-0 loss before a rare sizable crowd at Miami’s loanDepot Park last Sept. 27, all of them there to witness the final death rattles of an epic baseball calamity.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
Next comes the harder part. Mostly because it can’t get any easier.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
PORT ST. LUCIE — From the moment he was told he needed surgery on his left hamate bone, Francisco Lindor fixated on the recovery time. Trainers provided the Mets shortstop a six-week pathway to return to play, and Lindor was determined to hit every marker.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.
Don’t close the curtain on “Mean” Joe Greene.