The New York Yankees made the biggest trade of the offseason, acquiring Juan Soto in a deal with the San Diego Padres. Making this trade assured New York that Soto would be in Pinstripes for the 2024 campaign, but anything beyond that, especially with Scott Boras representing him, was far from certain.
Soto had a monster regular season and immediately became a beloved figure in the Bronx. He almost certainly has enjoyed playing in the spotlight every night, and will be considering signing with New York long-term as a free agent. There's only one problem, though. All 30 teams are going to want him.
Only a select few can realistically entertain the thought of signing Soto because of how much money he's going to command, giving the Yankees a better shot at re-signing him, but again, that's far from certain. Losing Soto at any juncture would hurt, but losing him to any one of these three teams would hurt even more from a Yankees perspective.
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3. Juan Soto staying in New York but not in Pinstripes would be a major gut punch
The biggest threat to steal Juan Soto away from the Bronx is undoubtedly the New York Mets. No, they don't have the history that the Yankees do, and they don't have Aaron Judge, but they've got a couple of things going for them right now.
As of this writing, they're one win away from the NLCS in what was supposed to be more of a retooling year. The Mets have come out of nowhere and captivated the hearts of the city with fun gimmicks like OMG, Grimace, and so much more. The Mets are fun, and Soto certainly likes fun.
Additionally, they're led by the richest owner in the sport, Steve Cohen. If Cohen wants Soto and will stop at nothing to sign him, there's little Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner can do to get in his way. As Yankees fans should know so well, money talks, and the Mets have lots of it. If money is the only factor, the Mets are a major threat, if not the favorites to sign him this winter.
Soto staying in New York but joining the Mets would absolutely be a gut punch for Yankees fans. Not only would they lose out on a superstar on a clear Hall of Fame trajectory, but they'd have to hear it from their Mets fan friends that Soto switched sides.
As annoying as it would be from a Yankees perspective to see Soto in Queens, though, it's not the worst outcome. The fans won't like it, and the Yankees obviously wouldn't either, but the Mets aren't in the same division or even the same league as the Yankees. These teams meet four times per year in the regular season. The only possible way they can meet in the postseason is if they make it to the World Series.
Soto signing with the Mets would be far from ideal, but it's not as if he can torment the Yankees the same way he could if he stayed in the AL East or even the AL in general.
2. The Yankees can't afford to lose Juan Soto to the Blue Jays
Losing Soto anywhere would be a bad look, but if the Toronto Blue Jays were to get him, that'd be very bad for a couple of reasons.
First, if Soto were to sign with the Blue Jays, it'd almost certainly be solely for the money. Toronto is a great city but is not New York, and the Jays don't have much going for them right now in terms of winning. They went 74-88 this season, have Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette set to hit free agency after 2025, have an older roster, and even after selling at the trade deadline don't have a minor league farm system worth writing home about. The Yankees being outbid by the Blue Jays would be a bad look.
Second, the Blue Jays happen to be in the AL East. Sure, they're not nearly as big of a threat as a team like the Baltimore Orioles, but the Yankees still see Toronto 13 times annually. The last thing any Yankees fan wants is to watch Soto 13 times per year and not have him wear Pinstripes for those games.
Is it likely Soto will end up in Toronto? Probably not, but did anyone expect them to be in the mix for Shohei Ohtani? Sure, Ohtani wasn't on a flight to Toronto, but he did seem to seriously entertain Toronto as a destination. If the Jays were willing to spend $700 million on Ohtani, they might just be willing to spend $600 million on Soto. Who knows, that might be enough to get him. If this does happen, that would be bad news for the Bronx Bombers.
1. The Red Sox discovering that they're the Red Sox would be the worst-case scenario for the Yankees
You knew they'd be here. There's no team that the Yankees organization and their fanbase dislike more than the Boston Red Sox, and Soto going there would be the worst of the worst.
Can you imagine the Yankees having to deal with a batting order featuring both Soto and Rafael Devers? That isn't even to mention guys like Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and a slew of other very intriguing prospects.
Fortunately for Yankees fans, it isn't 2004 anymore. The Red Sox seemed to have forgotten that they're the Boston Red Sox, an organization capable of spending on just about any player they'd like to. Yankees fans have been critical of Steinbrenner's spending, but that doesn't even come close to comparing with what Red Sox owner John Henry has done in recent years.
The Red Sox ranked 11th this past season in total payroll, according to Spotrac and committed over $100 million less than the Yankees. That's unprecedented territory for a franchise with a history of spending at all costs to win.
If the Red Sox remember that they are, in fact, the Red Sox, they'd present a fun opportunity for Soto. They're a team on the rise that exceeded expectations this season, has a great farm system, and a passionate fan base. They can go after Soto if they wanted to, and should be in the mix. Chances are, though, that they'll pass on a serious attempt because of the organization that they've become, giving Yankees fans a reason to breathe a sigh of relief.
