Yankees Owner Wants Juan Soto to Finish His MLB Career in New York
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 04: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees in action against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on May 04, 2024 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 5-3. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to keep Juan Soto in New York.
New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has spoken. He wants Juan Soto to remain a Yankee for the rest of his career.
More news: Yankees' Superstar Juan Soto Isn't Ready to Commit to New York Long-Term
On Thursday, Steinbrenner went on the "Yankees News & Views" podcast with Jack Curry of the YES Network, and said he would like to see Soto finish his career in New York.
Soto is a client of super agent Scott Boras, whose clients typically get to free agency, then test the market to maximize their value. However, Steinbrenner said there will likely be extension talks with Boras and Soto during the season, as he tries to lock up the superstar for the remainder of his career.
Curry then reached out to Boras with the news, who said, "Always happy to talk with Hal. Juan is getting to know the Yankee organization. His singular focus is winning."
For what it's worth, Soto was asked a few weeks ago if he wanted to remain in New York long-term and had this to say: "I mean, right now I'm still learning the team. You cannot tell from one month into the season," Soto told The New York Post. "You've got to see how it's going to be all the way until the season ends."
The Yankees acquired Soto last December in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres. The Yankees sent right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka to San Diego for Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham.
Soto has been everything the Yankees could have asked for and more in his first year in the Bronx.
The 25-year-old is slashing .310/.408/.530 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and 29 walks. His .938 OPS would be his highest in a full season since 2021.
Soto has already put himself in the Yankees' record books multiple times this season, and most recently passed Yankees' legend Mickey Mantle for the most walks in MLB history before turning 26 years old.
Soto is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and will enter free agency at 26 — an unusually low age for a star at his peak powers.
Soto famously rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the Washington Nationals in 2022, which precipitated his trade to San Diego. When San Diego needed to cut costs over the winter, they shipped him off to New York.
Now, the three-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion is starring in the country's biggest market with the league's most storied franchise, and will command record money this offseason. Many have speculated his contract could eclipse $500 million, which would give him the largest contract in MLB history for a non-two-way player.
The Steinbrenner family has owned the Yankees since 1973. Hal inherited the team in 2010 after his father, George, passed away.
Since Hal took over, he's shelled out two of the largest contracts in MLB history.
In Dec. 2022, the Yankees agreed to a nine-year, $360 million extension with star outfielder Aaron Judge, which averages out to $40 million a season. In Dec. 2019, the Yankees agreed to a nine-year, $324 million deal with right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole, which averages out to $36 million per year and made him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. That total amount has since been surpassed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason.
If Steinbrenner wants to keep Soto in New York for the rest of his career, he's both literally and figuratively going to have to put his money where his mouth is.
Steinbrenner's sentiment is a great sign for the Yankees and their fans. But they have a long way to go to ensure Soto doesn't wear another jersey — and has a Yankees cap on his head when he's inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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