Given the earnest of the teams in the chase–including the Yankees–and the quality of the player at the center of it all, no MLB player has drummed up the kind of free-agent attention like Juan Soto has this winter since … well, since the Dodgers‘ Shohei Ohtani a year ago. But Ohtani was a unicorn situation, an international star who can also pitch.
Soto is a more traditional free-agent outfielder. It’s been a long time since an everyday player hit the market, drawing his kind of attention and his kind of potential financial windfall.
The presumption has long been that the Yankees, after giving up a trove of prospects and young players last winter to acquire Soto (including highly touted pitcher Michael King and catcher Kyle Higashioka) from the Padres, simply must sign Soto at all costs.
After all, he hit .288 with a .415 on-base percentage and a .569 slugging mark. Yankees Stadium suited him well, as he knocked 41 home runs on the year and worked well in tandem with star Aaron Judge.
But what if this is not as much a must-do deal as it is being made out to be? What if the Plan B is not that bad, after all?
Juan Soto Could Soon Be Surrounded by Old, Expensive Teammates
That idea was floated on “The Show” podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, the two MLB insiders from the New York Post. Sherman peered ahead to a future in which the Yankees would be aging–ace pitcher Gerrit Cole is 34 now, remember, and Arron Judge is 32–and getting very expensive.
“There would be a moment like three years from now, when Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole and Juan Soto, who would now be headed toward 30, are making $120-$125 million of their payroll,” Sherman said. “Who knows, we’re at 2026—what does that look like? Is there anything to be said for, ‘Man, the Yankees really need to sign Juan Soto.’
“But, you know what would really be bad for them, long-term? Signing Juan Soto.”
Yankees Plan B Would Provide Depth at Better Cost
While there is no doubt that signing Soto is Plan A for the Yankees, and has been since acquiring him last winter, Heyman laid out a pretty good use of the potential $600 million contract Soto might get–if the Yankees and GM Brian Cashman used it elsewhere.
Give prospects a chance in the outfield. Sign an ace, and players to fill other top spots. Move on without Juan.
“It may mean more to the Yankees than it does Juan Soto,” Heyman said. “In terms of on the field, you can make a case that you could spend that $600 million elsewhere. You could sign a No. 1 pitcher for $200 million or less—and there’s (Corbin) Burnes, there’s (Blake) Snell and there’s (Max) Fried out there on the market. …
“You could add a third basemen, which is something they actually do need. Outfield could be the spot where, maybe they could be OK in the outfield. Obviously, Dominguez and Jones are considered good prospects. We’ll see.”
Heyman pointed out that Anthony Santander could be a short-term outfield option, at about $100 million total. There is Alex Bregman at third base, and Willy Adames as another infield option.
Throw in Tanner Scott in the bullpen and suddenly the Yankees have some depth.
And, as Heyman pointed out, Plan B is not that costly. “You’re still not up to $600 million,” he said.
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Yankees Plan for Juan Soto’s Potential Free-Agent Departure Outlined