Recently-acquired New York Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto held a Q&A with selected media members on Tuesday, mere days after the Pinstripes pulled off a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres.
The session took a lot of turns as Soto put on his Yankees hat for the first time. Among the major talking points was his status as a free agent after the 2024 MLB season.
Soto, 25, didn’t do much to calm the nerves of Yankees fans who think he’s simply going to be a one-year rental. “They know where to call and who to talk to. I’m here just to play baseball,” Soto told reporters.
Super agent Scott Boras represents Soto. That’s obviously who the star outfielder is referring to here. One of the reasons San Diego traded Soto outside of wanting to cut payroll was the fact that he’s set to be a free agent next winter. There was concern about being able to lock the star up before he hits the open market. Boras’ status as Soto’s agent only adds another layer to this.
There will certainly be questions raised about Soto’s long-term future in the Bronx heading into Spring Training and Opening Day. He did talk about his goals with the Yankees.
“My mindset is to come here to play baseball and try to win a championship,” Soto told reporters.
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Juan Soto stats (career): .284 average, 160 HR, 484 RBI, .946 OPS
Still only 25 years old, Soto has already earned four Silver Slugger awards, three All-Star appearances and a National League batting title. He’s also finished in the top six of MVP voting three times.
The youngster heads to a Yankees team that already boasts Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in what promises to be a potent lineup.
General manager Brian Cashman and Co. now need to get working on the rotation. New York has been linked to some top free agents and players on the trade block, including Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
As it stands, we have no further clarification on Soto’s long-term status with the Yankees. It’s looking more and more like he’ll hit MLB free agency next summer looking to cash in after Shohei Ohtani landed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.