Yankees are clearing a path for a Juan Soto trade to happen
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Yankees manager Aaron Boone is openly dreaming about adding Juan Soto to his lineup, and GM Brian Cashman is publicly speaking about the San Diego Padres slugger.
As the Winter Meetings wound down, the two most popular questions around this vast Opryland Resort remained:
Where is Shohei Ohtani going?
When is Soto going to the Yankees?
Trying to get San Diego near the goal line in trade discussions Wednesday, the Yankees' objective was made clearer when Boone discussed his 2024 outfield alignment.
Newly acquired Alex Verdugo can handle left field at Yankee Stadium, while Aaron Judge “is certainly in play’’ as a center fielder in 2024, according to Boone.
That leaves a vacancy in right field for, well, you know who.
Soto, 25, “is a transformational bat, one of the best hitters in the game,’’ Cashman said when the lefty-hitting slugger’s name came up.
Speaking Wednesday with reporters, agent Scott Boras was asked if his client hoped for a quick resolution to any trade discussions.
"He’s been through it once,'' said Boras, alluding to the 2022 trade deadline deal that sent Soto to San Diego from the Washington Nationals. "When you're a star level player and you have that value…it kind of goes with the territory.''
But there was enough momentum building Wednesday toward a Padres-Yankees agreement that hope was in the air.
“Yeah, I allow myself to dream on a lot of things,’’ Boone said of trade conversations that can produce an impact player like Soto.
“I think I always start to imagine what it will look like.’’
Aaron Judge in center field again?
Boone said he’s already talked with Judge about playing regularly in center field again, with a day or two at designated hitter built in per week.
Judge, who turns 32 in April, made just 16 starts last year in center field, after starting 74 games there during his AL record-setting 62-homer season in 2022.
Of course, Judge’s 2023 season took a bad turn in early June, when he crashed into the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium, tearing ligaments in his right big toe.
As a center fielder, “it’s probably a more demanding position,’’ Boone said. “But for me it’s not overly more dangerous or anything,’’ and Judge enjoys playing in center.
Rehabbing from elbow surgery, switch-hitting rookie center fielder Jasson Dominguez is due to return by July, and “we do feel like Dominguez is going to be back, sooner than later hopefully,’’ said Boone.
Alex Verdugo in the Yankees' plans
Adding the caveat that “you never know where the rest of the winter goes,’’ Boone has Verdugo in his 2024 outfield plans.
Entering his free-agent walk year, Verdugo could potentially be flipped in another trade, but the Yanks have long valued his corner defensive skills and lefty bat – despite unfulfilled expectations and some discipline issues.
“He’s been a guy we’ve talked about for a while and we were finally able to get something done,’’ Boone said of the Yanks sending reliever Greg Weissert and two minor league pitchers Tuesday night to the Boston Red Sox.
“Feel like there’s an edge he plays the game with. I’m excited about this,’’ said Boone. Verdugo “takes a lot of pride in posting.
“(He’s) a gamer, competitive… a premier corner defender,’’ said Boone. “I’m confident in what he’s going to bring defensively.’’
As to some issues of failing to hustle and being on time, “I didn’t get into that stuff with Alex that much,'' said Boone. "I’m not overly concerned with that.''
In a conversation with Verdugo, Boone feels he’ll get “a really good, motivated player.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Yankees clearing a path for a Juan Soto trade to happen
