In his early appearances for the New York Yankees, Juan Soto, who was acquired in a trade during the offseason, has performed well at the plate and exceeded expectations on defense. Intwo matchups with the Houston Astros , the 25-year-old outfielder has four hits, three walks, two RBI, and made a crucial throw to home plateduring the first game. However, if the Yankees' early success turns around, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report has predicted
that Soto and some of his new teammates might end up being traded at the midseason trade deadline. “If the Yankees fall out of the AL East race early, which is a very real possibility due to the varying outcomes from their starting rotation, they have several interesting players to put on the trade block,” Reuter wrote as a “bold prediction” for the Yankees in 2024. “Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, Clay Holmes, Alex Verdugo, and Jonathan Loáisiga are all free agents next season.” The New York Yankees Might Not Be Willing to Pay Juan Soto $40 Million Per Season
Fans could be forgiven if the mere idea of trading Soto away sparks immediate outrage. He is one of the best hitters of his generation, a
three-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and a two-time member of the MLB First Team
, leading the major leagues in games played and walks drawn, with a .275/.410/.519 slash line. The Yankees relinquished a significant portion of their young pitching depth to acquire him. In 2023and outfielder Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres, trading away right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vásquez, as well as catcher Kyle Higashioka.
The Yankees Soto is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, and the Yankees are publicly indicating they won’t offer him an extension before then,
But Soto is as reported by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch . Soto is expected to command a lucrative contract as he enters the prime of his career, and if the Yankees are out of contention at the deadline, they might see more value in trading him than letting him walk in free agency without plans to match the competing offers. Elaborating on this possibility, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic highlighted the Yankees' existing payroll limitations as constraints that could prevent the team from re-signing Soto.“Under (owner) Hal Steinbrenner … the payroll has taken on an increased focus,”
she stated during an appearance on SNY
. “I don’t know if he would be willing to take on another salary that, realistically, will be at least $40 million.” The New York Yankees Could Still Have the Best Chance of Re-Signing Juan SotoWhile some view Soto’s time with the Yankees as a one-season deal, others predict that the team has an advantage in securing him to a long-term contract for 2025 and beyond. Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, for instance,
predicted that the Yankees would bring him back with a $600 million deal.
If the 2024 season continues as it has started, it is indeed hard to imagine the Yankees letting go of Soto. “The Yankees didn’t trade almost all of their rotation depth just to rent this young star,”.
Jon Heyman wrote for the New York Post
. “The Yankees can't afford to allow him to go at this speed.” The New York Yankees have been forecasted to exchange star hitter Juan Soto by the middle of the season if they are not winning.. “At this rate the Yankees can’t let him leave.”
