Juan Soto’s New York Yankees tenure has gotten off to a tremendous start after he was acquired in an offseason trade with the San Diego Padres, and he is putting together an early case for AL MVP in a contract year.
As hot as Soto has been at the plate, there’s no level of heat that can make fans forget about his pending free agency, and he recently got honest about the situation to give everyone a better idea of where his head is at.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale shared a quote from Soto yesterday that had the Yankees star saying, “We ain’t closing the doors on anybody” when it comes to his services this offseason, as he is wide open to listening to prospective teams bidding for him around the league.
Soto is currently hitting .315 with 14 homers and 43 RBI and is on pace for a career year that would make him quite a lot of money this offseason.
He has played in every game, just as he did last season, and is sporting his typically-gaudy .995 OPS.
At just 25 years old, Soto could become the first player to land a $400 million contract in free agency outside of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this past offseason, as he has proven to be extremely durable, consistent, and has the type of plate discipline that traditionally ages well.
The comment itself shouldn’t worry Yankees fans too much, as this is what any pending free agent would say to ensure they maintain all their negotiating power.
With owner Hal Steinbrenner recently planting the seed that the team is a bit cash-strapped, perhaps it’s not crazy that Soto could get paid elsewhere.
