Outfielder Juan Soto fits perfectly on the New York Yankees’ roster. Will general manager Brian Cashman find a way to re-sign the left-handed slugger for the next decade-plus? The latest prediction is casting doubt that the Bombers can get something done.
Soto’s impact on the Yankees was massive. After missing the playoffs with a disappointing 82-80 record in 2023, Cashman acquired the outfielder via trade with the San Diego Padres. New York finished 2024 with an American League-best 94-68 record while reaching the World Series for the first time since 2009.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 26: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees hits a home run off a pitch from Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third… Alex Slitz/Getty Images
The 26-year-old’s first (and possibly only) season in pinstripes resulted in his fourth All-Star Game selection, fifth Silver Slugger Award and a third-place finish in AL MVP Award voting. Soto slugged a career-high 41 home runs while collecting 109 RBI and 128 runs scored with a .989 OPS in 713 plate appearances.
Although Soto is weighing offers from several teams, the New York Mets appear to be among the biggest threats to steal him away from the Bombers. The Athletic’s Andy McCullough thinks the left-handed slugger will land in Queens for 2025 and beyond.
“We looked like knuckleheads last year when our galaxy-brained take on Shohei Ohtani led us to forecasting him joining the Texas Rangers. No need to complicate things,” McCullough wrote. “(Steve) Cohen has the deepest pockets. He will dip into them to sign Soto to the richest (present-day value, for sure) contract in baseball history.”
Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract is currently the richest in baseball history. With $680 million of it deferred, the present-day value is about $460 million. Tim Britton of The Athletic is projecting a 13-year, $611 million deal for Soto.
