The New York Yankees are seen as a favorite to re-sign Juan Soto this winter. But a prominent MLB insider believes they will be outbid for him in MLB free agency for one very specific reason.
The 2024 MLB playoffs are set to kick off this week. But the Yankees will be watching from home to see who they will face in the Divisional Round. The Bronx Bombers earned the best record in the American League this week, and outfielder Juan Soto was a huge part of their success.
The four-time All-Star had another strong season in 2024. And it came just in time for his highly anticipated jump into free agency later this year. Last winter, the Los Angeles Dodgers shattered previous contract records when they gave two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani a shocking $700 million deal. That number blew early estimates away for what the Japanese player was expected to get.
Related: New York Yankees game today – Get time and channel for the next Yanks playoff game
That is now happening with Juan Soto. Early projections saw him making close to $500 million on the open market, but recent ones have gone beyond that. It means that if the Yankees want to keep the outfielder, they will have to give him a far bigger contract than top star, and likely 2024 AL MVP Aaron Judge (Nine years, $360 million).
It will expand a payroll that owner Hal Steinbrenner has stated publicly he would like to shrink. That is part of why ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney feels New York will probably be outbid for Soto this winter.
- Juan Soto contract projection: 12 years, $560 million
Buster Olney seems confident New York Yankees will lose Juan Soto to New York Mets
“Does [Soto] really want to stay with the Yankees, or like a lot of players — and by the way, this is totally their prerogative — some players equate money for respect,” Olney told “Pinstripe Territory” this week [h/t SI.com]. “Is Soto looking to get a record number of dollars from one of these teams? And I do think in the end, the Yankees are going to be outbid by somebody.
“I can’t see Hal going to nutty numbers. And we don’t know if [New York Mets owner] Steve Cohen is going to do like he does with some of his art and just blow the competition out of the water.”
The Mets have been viewed as a top contender for Soto in free agency for months. And they have the richest owner in the sport. Olney added to the speculation of how much interest the other New York team has in the All-Star when he tossed out this nugget of information.
“I was told in spring training: that’s our guy. Like Soto is the focus on what the Mets are going to try to do,” he said.
Related: New report reveals Juan Soto met with New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner over summer