Juan Soto is one of the best players in baseball, and Yankees fans look to the 26-year-old as the future face of the team, as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will turn 33 and 35 respectively next season.
New York fans fear the same thing when it comes to Soto, who signed a one-year deal with the team after being traded from the Padres last December: He won’t play in the Bronx next year.
Soto did nothing to allay those concerns during his postgame interviews after the Dodgers won the World Series following another Yankee collapse in Wednesday night’s decisive Game 5.
“I’m very happy with the city, with the team, with how these guys are doing, but in the end we’ll see.” We are going to analyze each situation, each offer we receive and make a decision from there,” Soto said. “I don’t know which teams want to come after me, but I will definitely be open to listening to each and every one. teams. I don’t have closed doors or anything like that. “Then I will be available for all 30 teams.”
With much interest in Soto, Yankees fans are preparing to lose a key piece of the team that led them to their first pennant since 2009.
Juan Soto will be a free agent this offseason after just one year with the New York Yankees
The Yankees are expected to make a competitive offer in a crowded field to retain Soto.
‘Translation. The highest bidder wins,” said one Yankees fan on social media.
“He’s not that happy; no one would be after that series.” But the Yankees are a winning team with good financial stability. Let’s hope he stays.”
‘The 30 teams are open to negotiating. Very good offer. A winning team. Leaving friends is not a problem… The best candidates are 1. Dodgers 2. Mets 3. Phillies 4. Padres 5. Orioles… The Yankees can be outplayed. “They will be in the rebuilding phase and will not be a winning team.”
‘Soto doesn’t seem happy at all. I hope he returns to the Yankees, I really do! Pay this man whatever he wants! He deserves it. Whatever you do Soto, please don’t go to Los Angeles.
A collection of social media posts about the impending free agency of Yankees star Juan Soto
Soto will be in line for a big payday no matter where he ends up, and the Yankees are believed to be competitive in making him an offer.
However, many other teams will open their pockets to make way for one of the best players in the game.
Soto rose to prominence with the Nationals and won a World Series with the team in 2019 before being traded to the Padres in 2022.
While his value has declined somewhat since the Herschel Walker-esque trade, Soto’s next move will be one of the biggest stories of baseball’s offseason.