Juan Soto’s tenure with the New York Yankees has gone swimmingly to this point since they acquired him in a December seven-player blockbuster commerce with the San Diego Padres. Whereas Soto’s excessive stage of manufacturing has after all buoyed the Yankees’ hopes for a bounceback season in 2024, it is also elevated the strain and angst surrounding Soto’s future. That future is unsure as a result of Soto is slated totally free company this coming offseason, and the expectation is that he’ll train these rights.
Talking of these very a lot intertwined storylines, Jon Heyman of the New York Publish requested Soto on Saturday whether or not he needs to stay a Yankee past the present season. To that query, Soto diplomatically replied:
“I imply, proper now I am nonetheless studying the group. You can not inform from one month into the season. You have to see how it will be all the way in which till the season ends.”
…
“I’ve actually loved it. It has been an important expertise. It is an important group of men. All of us really feel snug enjoying for one another. It is feeling nice to date.”
Commonplace-issue reply, gentle trigger for Yankee-partisan optimism, or a little bit of each? You resolve. The working assumption, although, is that Soto will take a look at the free-agent market after the present season. He is a Scott Boras consumer, and Boras’ famous person shoppers are inclined to need to attain the market as quickly as doable. As effectively, Soto earlier in his profession turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension provide from the Nationals, which strongly suggests a dedication to reaching free company. The Padres’ efforts to signal Soto after buying him from the Nats additionally got here to grief, which partially led to the commerce with the Yankees.
After all, within the seemingly very possible occasion that Soto does attain the market, all isn’t misplaced within the Bronx. You may recall that Yankees slugger and lifer Aaron Choose reached free company and acquired very critical with the Giants earlier than finally inking a nine-year, $360 million pact that introduced him again to the Yanks. When it comes to spending prowess in MLB, solely the Dodgers can examine to the Yankees, so in relation to securing Soto’s companies past the present season it is in giant measure a matter of will on the a part of proprietor Hal Steinbrenner.
Up to now, Soto is taking full benefit of his market-setting stroll 12 months, even when his Yankee mess-mates within the lineup aren’t but holding up their finish. Going into Sunday’s slate, Soto boasts a 2024 slash line of .318/.425/.561 with eight homers and an MLB-leading 26 walks (towards 21 strikeouts). The sturdy Soto has additionally performed in each sport to date. And whereas the pattern measurement is small, he is additionally proven considerably improved defensive metrics. For so long as he is been a frontline producer on the plate, it is simple to overlook that Soto remains to be simply 25 years of age. He’ll be exceptionally younger as free brokers go, and he’ll (presumably) enter the market as one of many prime “energy and endurance” hitters within the sport at the moment.
Now for the remainder of the Yankees. Regardless of Soto’s sky-scraping contributions, the Yankee offense as an entire has been a bit disappointing to date. That is due to Choose’s uncharacteristically sluggish begin and the regression of a few key bats who had been on a heater within the early weeks of 2024. It is not a determined state of affairs – the Yankees proper now rank tenth in MLB in runs scored and eighth in OPS – but it surely’s shy of what is anticipated from a lineup that options Soto, Choose, and a few promising younger skills. Framed one other means, Yankee hitters not named Juan Soto this season have mixed for a slash line of .235/.318/.373, which is way from optimum.
All that stated, the Yankees at current are in playoff place, only a sport behind the first-place Orioles, and on tempo for 102 wins. SportsLine, in a associated matter, proper now provides the Yanks an 88.5% likelihood of creating the postseason. If all of that typically holds, then Soto will get a minimum of a style of playoff baseball within the Bronx, and that may very well be a helpful basis for the Yankees in relation to Soto’s future past 2024.
