Yankees’ potential Juan Soto trade has that smell
NASHVILLE -- There are times at the Winter Meetings when you can smell a big transaction coming -- and the Yankees’ pursuit of Juan Soto has crossed into that zone.
It’s not only in the reporting we’re able to gather, but in the cryptic grins, the happy "no comments," the fact that the Yankees' front office, instead of hanging out and unwinding on Tuesday night, worked in their suite well into the wee hours and went mostly (but not entirely) dark.
To be clear: A trade has not yet reached the point where the baseball operations department has asked ownership for approval on the money changing hands, per sources. Player agents have not been informed, per multiple agents. This could still fall through.
But as of Wednesday morning, there was strong optimism that Soto would become a Yankee before long.
What can we say? This has that smell.
On the evening of Dec. 11, 2019, the Yankees were circling a deal with Gerrit Cole. The pre-deal tension and anticipation boiled over, and an agreement followed.
On Dec. 7, 2022, Brian Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner and Aaron Boone stayed up late to press Aaron Judge into finalizing his contract to return to the Yankees.
This Yankees front office is selectively aggressive, but when it senses that a big move is realistic, they bear down and get it done. This one -- while it is not done --- has taken on that feeling.
