After already meeting with a few other suitors, Juan Soto will hear the Yankees out.
The Bombers, led by a contingent that includes Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone, were scheduled to meet with the right fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, in Southern California on Monday, as first reported by the New York Post. Boras’ agency is based out of Newport Beach.
Soto, the Yankees’ top offseason priority, is already familiar with the team, as the free agent superstar spent the 2024 season in the Bronx after being acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Padres last December. The 26-year-old thrived in pinstripes, slashing .288/.419/.569 with 41 homers and 109 RBI while hitting in front of Aaron Judge, the presumptive American League MVP, all season.
Soto also seemed to generally enjoy his time with the Yankees, fitting into the clubhouse and fostering an affectionate relationship with fans.
“This place was really special,” Soto said after the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series. “It’s been a blast for me. I’ve been really happy. Definitely if I’m here or not, I’ll be really happy for the teammates that I have and the people that I got to know in here. This was a really special group. But at the end of the day, we will see what’s going to happen.”
Boras added that Soto was “really comfortable” playing in New York and that he enjoyed his Yankees experience, though that doesn’t mean the four-time All-Star is staying put.
Last week, Boone said that he would lean on his own familiarity and relationship with Soto during the Yankees’ meeting, though the manager didn’t have a specific sales pitch planned.
“I do know him,” said Boone, who played an active part in Judge’s free agency a few offseasons ago. “Let it be organic and let the meeting go where it needs to go. I’m sure maybe he’ll have questions now that he is a free agent or want to address certain things. I’m just going to go in there and be myself and confident in my relationship with Juan and the ability to have honest conversations with him and certainly, hopefully cement the point of how valuable and how much we think of him, not only as a player, but as a person. I got to live that with him this year. That would be my sales pitch. Of course, how much we want him, but let the meeting go where it goes.”
Soto, an MVP finalist himself, is looking for a deal that will pay him at least half-a-billion dollars, quite possibly much more. He has already met with three Yankees rivals, the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Mets, as he also seeks a home and a consistent contender for the foreseeable future.
The Mets, funded by Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, are seen as the Yankees’ biggest competition for the slugger.
“They want to win,” Cashman previously said of the Mets. “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.”
While it’s unclear how long Soto’s free agency will last, the Yankees have other needs this winter. The team has question marks at first base, second base, in both corner outfield spots and in the bullpen.
How the Yankees fill those holes — and spend their money — will partially depend on what Soto does, as Steinbrenner has voiced his desire for a payroll under $300 million.
“It’s all about the teams and how far they want to take it,” Soto said when asked about the possibility of a lingering free agency. “And how much they want to go back and forth. I feel like that’s one of the biggest things, because I’m here. They are the ones who have to come over to me. We’re going to be waiting till somebody comes over.”