MLB rumors: Major Juan Soto suitor ‘overly enthusiastic’ about going after big time free agent…
MLB rumors: Major Juan Soto suitor ‘gung-ho’ about going after big time free agent
One of Juan Soto’s potential suitors hope to outbid the other teams to land his services in free agency.
According to Jon Heyman’s report for the New York Post, “[Hal] Steinbrenner and his baseball people are…’gung ho’ about Soto, their top winter priority.” With his epic home run at Cleveland, Soto “helped them into their first World Series since 15 years, hit 41 home runs, and posted a.989 OPS.”
“And the Yankees, as MLB’s consistent revenue leader, certainly have a chance,” the story went on. They can also present a compelling argument that goes beyond Soto’s experience.
The Yankees join the Soto sweepstakes
Nevertheless, Juan Soto might sign with the Mets or the Blue Jays, depending on the Yankees’ confidence or the Dodgers’ recent World Series success.
After all, the owners of both teams—Edward Rogers of the Jays and Steve Cohen of the Mets—are among the wealthiest in Major League Baseball, which gives them further incentive to offer Soto a possible $600-million contract.
However, with Aaron Judge batting behind him, the Yankees rely on Soto’s prior knowledge of their clubhouse.Judge may not even consider his lacklustre postseason performance while making his choice.
Furthermore, if the future Hall of Famer decides to stay, the Yankees’ illustrious past might persuade him to do so by promising him a place on Monument Park.
Additionally, if the Yankees retool their squad to become a World Series-caliber team, unresolved business might convince Soto to sign with them again.
When Steinbrenner, GM Brian Cashman, and manager Aaron Boone met with the superstar batter on Monday in southern California, they undoubtedly included the prospect of redeeming their World Series loss in their pitch.
Similarly, if a key player like Juan Soto becomes a free agent, teams with the means just need to do their research and at the very least schedule a meeting. The Dodgers would also give him the opportunity to join a club that has won World Series before and have access to a sizable market in Los Angeles.
However, considering that they could just re-sign someone like Teoscar Hernandez, who performed admirably when it counted most, the Dodgers might not want to make a strong push.