It’s highly likely that Juan Soto will excel with the New York Yankees in 2024, enhancing his prospects for landing one of the most substantial contracts in MLB history next year. Consequently, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner will need to be prepared to significantly invest to retain Soto’s services in the Bronx for the remainder of his career. While there are doubts among some fans about Steinbrenner’s willingness to meet Soto’s demands, there’s at least one analyst, Jim Bowden of The Athletic, who believes it will happen, suggesting that the Yankees may offer Soto a 14-year contract worth $501 million, outbidding the Mets to secure him.
The potential rivalry between the two New York teams could be reignited if Steinbrenner succeeds in securing Soto, as the Mets have been relatively lackluster in recent years, with only one playoff appearance in the past seven seasons. Both the Yankees and Mets are likely contenders for Soto’s services next offseason, with the Mets having a more flexible payroll and aiming to rejuvenate their competitiveness while the Yankees seek to pair Soto with Aaron Judge until 2031, the final year of Judge’s current contract.
While Steinbrenner may need to offer a considerably larger sum for Soto compared to Judge’s contract, there’s skepticism among MLB sources about the likelihood of such a deal. However, there have been indications, as noted by Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media, that Judge may be open to Soto earning a higher salary if it means bolstering the team’s chances of winning.
Although Soto hasn’t publicly expressed his long-term preferences, it’s evident that he will pursue the most lucrative deal possible, especially with Scott Boras as his agent, known for tough negotiations. Reports suggest that Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nationals in 2022.
Before any future negotiations, the focus remains on Soto’s potential impact during his time with the Yankees this season, where fans hope to witness more than just the standard 162 games of stellar performance in pinstripes, possibly making it difficult to envision him leaving.
