Moose on the Loose: The future of Juan Soto
NEW YORK (PIX11) — You know what Hal Steinbrenner did yesterday? He drew a line in the sand.
On Jack Curry’s podcast, Steinbrenner said he wants Juan Soto to be a Yankee for life and would be open to contract talks during the season.
Soto responded saying his door is always open and Soto’s agent Scott Boras said that he is always happy to talk to Hal. Juan is getting to know the Yankees and he is focused on winning.
We discussed in this space, just last week, how special Soto is as a baseball player. He is hitting .302 this year with 9 homers and 34 RBI.
This is a pre-emptive strike by Hal because even though you might get frustrated by some of the Yankees personnel decisions over the years, they are not stupid. They know the Mets are floundering in Queens and they have the richest singular owner in all of Major League Baseball in Steve Cohen.
Make no mistake about it, if Soto hits free agency, the Mets will be heavily involved and heavily motivated.
So as the Yankees get set to entertain the dreadful White Sox tonight at the stadium and are 30 and 15 on the season, the gauntlet has been laid down by Steinbrenner.
In a few short months, the Yankees understand the value of Juan Soto. His talent is real, and he is irreplaceable.
The Yankees are focused on trying to win a World Series this season, but the future as well. The Yankees captain is Aaron Judge, their best player is Soto and the fear of Cohen and his wealth in the Bronx is real.
They know that if the Mets flounder this season, Cohen will be super motivated in the off-season to make a splash, after all he wants to field a winning product.
For the Yankees, here is the problem. Scott Boras. He loves taking his client to free agency and he knows that Soto needs to hit the open market in order to maximize his value.
Now, can the lure of the Bronx, the pinstripes and the history change that for Soto. Not sure. In order for a contract to be reached, both sides need to be motivated.
We know the Yankees are, Hal said so. For Soto, it is more of a wait and see approach. For the Yankees fan, don’t stress and if Soto is focused on winning, so should you. But the Soto saga is starting to heat up. Stay tuned.
Until next time New York, I’m Marc Malusis.
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