Yankees Could Compete With Unexpected Team for Juan Soto: ‘Fascinating’

Getty Juan Soto will be this winter's top free agent. The Yankees want him back, but could the Nationals make a play for the outfielder?

Juan Soto’s upcoming free agency will be interesting to follow. Thanks to an outstanding 2024 with the New York Yankees, $500 million could be the floor for his next contract, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Yankees and New York Mets are expected to be top contenders for the 25-year-old. But could the Washington Nationals make a play for their former outfielder?

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Sarah Langs and Anthony DiComo discussed Soto’s upcoming trip to the open market. When moderator Alyson Footer asked them to list four front-runners, they all had the same answer: the Yankees, Mets, Nationals and San Francisco Giants.

Footer commented on the Nats’ inclusion, saying “The Nationals angle is fascinating.” While they’re not being predicted as a top landing spot, none discount Washington’s chances.

“Soto and the Yankees visited D.C. recently, and it was a love fest for him,” Feinsand said. “He still loves it there and the fan base still loves him. And he’d make a heck of a lot more money now than he would have if he had accepted that $440 million deal a few years ago.”

Yankees Still Have a Great Chance of Re-Signing Juan Soto

Despite buzz from other teams, the Yankees are still the perceived front-runner for Soto. During an August 29 Bleacher Report live stream, Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed his predictions for the outfielder’s likeliest landing spots. His top two picks were the Yankees (even money) and the Mets (5-1 odds).

The Bombers have had the benefit of making an indirect sales pitch throughout 2024 while he wears pinstripes. Soto also has Yankee fans pleading with him to stay in the Bronx, and fellow slugger Aaron Judge trying to convince him.

It certainly helps that Soto is having a career year. Through 615 plate appearances, he’s hitting .293/.420/.585 with 27 doubles, 37 home runs, 96 RBI and 110 runs scored. Soto’s performance has already been worth 7.4 WAR, per FanGraphs. That’s a new career-high mark, beating the 6.8 WAR he produced in 2021 with Washington.

One would imagine that the Yankees being poised to reach the postseason and compete for a World Series this October helps general manager Brian Cashman’s eventual sales pitch, too.

Can the Yankees Find a Way to Support Juan Soto & Aaron Judge?

The Yankees have a lot of things going for them in their eventual pursuit of Soto. He’s already comfortable in the Bronx and knows what it’s like to play baseball in New York City. It’s also clear how much of a difference his presence has made for the Bombers. Even if team owner Hal Steinbrenner wants to get spending under control, New York can afford the potential $500-plus million price tag.

But can they also build a sustainable lineup around him and Judge?

“It is worth wondering what a Yankees lineup with Soto next year would look like,” Langs pointed out. “If any sort of financial restraint is on the radar, signing him could mean a lineup with Soto, Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and a handful of much younger/unproven players. But again, that could be true on any team depending how they are set up.”

“That’s where the Nats have an advantage,” Feinsand added. “Soto knows he’ll be with [James] Wood, [Dylan] Crews and [CJ] Abrams at a minimum, and those guys don’t cost anything yet and won’t for at least a few years. With the Yankees, Soto is looking at Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jasson Domínguez, Anthony Volpe and …?”

The Yankees will be at the forefront when it comes to the Juan Soto sweepstakes. However, it will be interesting to see which teams are seriously interested in competing with them for him.