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The New York Yankees entered last winter fresh off a disappointing 82-80 season. To try and rebound in 2024, they paid a steep price to acquire outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in December.
That plan is working so far. After a win over the Colorado Rockies on August 25, the Bombers are 77-54. This has produced a one-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East and Soto has been a huge part of that success. The 25-year-old is hitting .299/.429/.606 with 37 home runs, 95 RBI, 108 runs scored and 108 walks in 583 plate appearances.
The big gamble general manager Brian Cashman took in acquiring Soto has to do with his contract status. He’s primed to reach free agency this winter and could sign the richest present-day value contract in MLB history. Yankee fans want him to stay in the Bronx and shared those feelings with a “Please stay Soto” chant at Yankee Stadium on August 25.
Will it work? Soto was asked about that after the game. He responded by saying, “I don’t know. They have to talk to Cashman.”
Juan Soto Is Getting Ready to Cash in This Winter
Despite not turning 26 years old until October, Soto has already made more than $82 million during his MLB career, per Spotrac. Of this total, $31 million will be earned in 2024 with the Yankees. He’s already been worth every penny and more, too.
FanGraphs pegs his season-long performance at 7.6 WAR. Their Dollars metric helps quantify just how valuable those numbers are to teams. With the current calculation at about $8 million per 1.0 WAR, Soto’s first year in the Bronx has already been worth $60.7 million.
Soto and agent Scott Boras have rejected several contract extension proposals. The 15-year, $440 million offer he rejected from the Washington Nationals in 2022 is probably the most well-known. One must imagine Soto’s camp will be looking for more than that and pushing to surpass the $500 million mark.
Several contract projections have that as a realistic possibility. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Soto’s next contract at 14 years and $540 million before the 2024 season started. Some around the game think he could even break the $600 million mark.
Aaron Judge Also Wants the Yankees to Re-Sign Juan Soto
Aaron Judge knows all about having a monster year before reaching free agency the following offseason. He set the American League single-season home run record in 2022 with 62 homers. That resulted in him winning the AL MVP Award, signing a $360 million deal to remain in New York and being named the organization’s 16th captain. He’s somehow having an even better campaign in 2024 while sharing a lineup with Soto. Judge is hitting .333/.465/.736 with 51 home runs, 122 RBI and 122 runs scored through 577 plate appearances. He’s reached the 50-homer plateau for the third time in his career and his current homer pace is 63.
But don’t get it twisted – one of the things at the top of his mind is trying to keep Soto in the Bronx. The YES Network cameras showed him and Soto reacting to the “Please stay Soto” chants. Judge smiled and gestured to the crowd while looking at Soto, implying that he should listen to them. X (formerly Twitter) user eb1302 caught the interaction.
Soto certainly seems like a terrific fit in the Bronx with the Yankees. Pairing him with Judge would give opposing pitchers problems for years. The final hurdle might just be how much the Yankees are willing to spend to retain him.
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