If the New York Yankees have any benefit heading into the sweepstakes to signal star Juan Soto, it’ll be familiarity. It’s why they’ve spent their solely assured season with the coveted free-agent-to-be making an attempt to find out about what makes him tick. A part of that intelligence-gathering mission included a personal assembly between Soto and one of many individuals who might form the result of winter’s most outstanding free agent pursuit: Yankees proprietor Hal Steinbrenner.
The beforehand unreported assembly, between the market’s prime free agent and the proprietor of considered one of baseball’s most well-heeled franchises, came about at Yankee Stadium in July, inside a room close to the house clubhouse.
“It was good to get to know the proprietor,” Soto informedThe Athletic. “Get to see what he’s enthusiastic about me and every thing.”
Soto declined to disclose specifics of what he spoke about with Steinbrenner. The proprietor declined a request for remark by way of a group spokesperson. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, didn’t instantly reply to a message in search of remark.
However, based on an individual with data of the dialog, a lot of the discuss was targeted on Soto’s expertise thus far with the Yankees:How has he loved his time with the group? What may the Yankees do to boost the expertise of taking part in for them from the standpoint of a participant new to the group?
Soto, 25, can have spent all of 2024 sporting pinstripes, hitting in entrance of slugger Aaron Decide and listening to chants of “Re-sign Soto!” time and again from Yankees followers determined for him to remain.
The group hopes that even when Soto winds up weighing a number of free-agency contract provides on the similar time this winter — a course of that’s anticipated to fetch him a record-setting deal — he’ll not less than nonetheless have his Yankees expertise recent in his thoughts. In Might, showing on a YES Community podcast, Steinbrenner stated he want to see Soto “stay in pinstripes the remainder of his profession.”
Soto stated that he had briefly met with Steinbrenner in spring coaching earlier than their dialog in July, an interplay that he stated he loved. It appeared to go away an impression with a participant who will quickly have his selection of suitors.
“It’s all the time good to see (an proprietor) coming over not less than to say hello,” Soto stated, “see how we’re doing, what we take into consideration, this and that. It’s nice to have an proprietor that actually cares for gamers.”
Soto, already thought-about top-of-the-line younger hitters of all time, is predicted to command maybe the richest free agent contract ever. He’s already made $80.1 million in MLB salaries, based on Baseball Reference, together with an arbitration-record $31 million this season from the Yankees.The Athletic’s Tim Britton just lately projected a Soto deal that might be price $560 million.
This season, Soto has arguably been higher than ever, clubbing a career-high 41 dwelling runs with 108 RBIs, a .288 batting common and a .990 OPS whereas taking part in a stable proper area.
“I believe anyone would wish to be within the historical past books for the Yankees,” Soto stated. “I’ve been making an attempt all yr to be a part of it — not less than even when it’s for one yr. I’m making an attempt my greatest to be round these books with the World Sequence champions. However we’ll see. We are going to see the way it’s going to be. On the finish of the day, you by no means know in case you’re going to be there.”
Since his MLB debut in 2018, he ranks first in walks and on-base proportion and fifth in fWAR amongst place gamers. His 201 profession dwelling runs are tied for the sixth-most by a big-leaguer previous to his twenty sixth birthday, and he was thrilled final week when he homered in Seattle to offer him a house run in all 30 energetic stadiums.
“What a greatest approach to enter free company with all 30 ballparks checked (off) my listing,” he informed reporters on the time.
Although free company was clearly on Soto’s thoughts, it’s been clear that he’s totally loved taking part in with the Yankees, who acquired him within the offseason in a blockbuster commerce with the San Diego Padres.
When the Yankees clinched a playoff berth final week, he danced and partied with pleasure in a champagne-soaked celebration with all his teammates. He’s typically seen chatting and smiling with Decide, the group’s captain, and has appeared notably shut with second baseman Gleyber Torres and infielder Oswaldo Cabrera. At Yankee Stadium, when he’s been handled to chants of “Re-sign Soto,” he has acknowledged them with smiles and head nods.
“It’s been nice,” Soto stated of his time thus far within the Bronx. “It was an adjustment after I received right here. However shout out to my teammates. They make it very easy for me and make me really feel actually comfy after I received over.”
(Prime picture of Juan Soto and Hal Steinbrenner: Jessica Alcheh, Mike Stobe / Getty Pictures)
