Soto is enjoying the most remarkable season of his impressive career in his inaugural year with the Yankees. He has already set a new career record with 37 home runs before September even starts, and his 1.027 OPS is only surpassed by Judge in all of baseball. His presence has significantly bolstered a lineup that struggled last season without a second major star alongside Judge.
This has put the Yankees in a strong position to finally end their 15-year championship drought, as they head into Tuesday with the second-best record in the MLB. Losing Soto, especially to a rival team, would be a major setback. Fans have shown their deep appreciation for him, and this was highlighted by their enthusiastic “Re-sign Soto!” chant during Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
While the Yankees have the financial capacity to offer Soto an extremely lucrative contract, they have also indicated the need to reduce payroll in the future, making Soto’s extension uncertain. Soto is expected to secure one of the largest contracts in baseball history, with only Shohei Ohtani potentially commanding a larger deal by the time Soto finalizes his contract.
As the offseason approaches, the Yankees will see several major contracts expire, which will ease their financial burden and improve their chances of re-signing Soto without long-term financial strain. They might have to let other impending free agents go, notably Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes, but retaining Soto would make such sacrifices worthwhile.
Until the offseason actually begins, discussions about Soto’s future will remain speculative. As winter arrives, there could be a fierce bidding war between the Yankees and the Mets for this exceptional talent.
Be the first to comment