Four-time silver slugger to sign $600 million deal with the Yankees is predicted.
Nearly as soon as the New York Yankees pulled off the spectacular trade to acquire Juan Soto in December, speculation started about how much it may take for them to keep him after the 2024 season.
It’s understandable that supporters are anxious to extend the 25-year-old Soto’s contract beyond a one-year rental given that he will become free agent following the season. He is a three-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger, a former National League batting champion, and in his six-year career, he has twice led the major leagues in on base percentage.
In their “Yankees 2024 bold predictions” for The Athletic, Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty projected the cost of doing so and said the team will reach a $600 million contract with Soto.
“It’s so much money. Also, it will be well worth it,” they stated. “Through their age-24 season, just five batters have at least 3,000 plate appearances and an OPS+ of at least 157. Soto is among such. The others are Jimmie Fox, Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout, and Ty Cobb. The Yankees did not acquire Soto in order to release him.
The New York Yankees’ $600 million offer would make Juan Soto the highest-paid hitter in MLB history.
Soto would become one of the highest-paid players in MLB history with a $600 million contract. He would come in only behind Shohei Ohtani, who signed a $700 million contract to play offseason baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But aside from being one of the league’s most prolific sluggers, Ohtani is also among its greatest pitchers in the majors. Soto would rank highest among all players who do not take the mound if the deal went through.
The $426.5 million extension Mike Trout received from the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, the $365 million extension Mookie Betts received from the Dodgers in 2020, and the $360 million deal Soto’s teammate Aaron Judge received from the Yankees in 2022 would all be exceeded by the deal Kirschner and Kuty predicted for Soto.
Furthermore, there’s reason to think that keeping Soto on board will come at a record-breaking price.
Kirschner and Kuty said, “Several years ago, Soto’s father stated in an interview that Scott Boras told him he wanted his son to sign for $500 million.” “Soto refuted what Boras stated, but it doesn’t seem implausible for a perennial MVP contender who will turn 26 in a few months. He’s among the all-time great young batters.
There Will Be Competition for the New York Yankees to Sign Juan Soto Again
Naturally, the Yankees will probably have fierce competition if they want to sign Soto. Almost any big-budget team might enter the competition, and early speculation suggests that a rival team across town would be among the most likely candidates.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, “the Yankees have the distinct advantage of having his undivided attention for most of 2024 to sell him on life in pinstripes.” “But people in the game are saying that Steve Cohen’s Mets might emerge as Soto’s main rival after a year-long practical free-agent break.”
Lastly, Kirschner and Kuty pointed out that Soto has been settling in with the Yankees, implying that they may have the upper hand in re-signing him if they can match the best offers from rival teams in and out of New York.
“Soto’s visit to the Yankees’ academy in the Dominican Republic marked his first step toward staying in pinstripes forever,” they wrote. The players, many of whom were teenagers, eagerly awaited every word from Soto, who they aspired to emulate in the future.
Beyond his performance on the field, offers from MLB teams will undoubtedly include the opportunity to fulfill those children’s ambition of dressing like Soto.
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