The New York Yankees are on the verge of clinching a postseason spot after failing to reach October in 2023. Outfielder Juan Soto has been a huge part of the Bombers’ 2024 turnaround. But will he be part of the equation in 2025 and beyond?
Heading into this season, Soto’s career-high mark for home runs was 35, which he set in 2023 with the San Diego Padres. He surpassed that number on August 21st by going deep against the Cleveland Guardians. But his latest dinger on September 17 against the Seattle Mariners carried extra significance.
It was his 40th homer of the year. By doing it at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, he’s now hit a home run in all 30 active MLB stadiums. “It’s a great feeling for me. It’s so many different ballparks, so many different dimensions,” Soto said, via NJ.com’s Randy Miller. “I just want to get all of them checked.”
He finished that thought by saying, “What a way to go to free agency with homers in all 30 ballparks.”
Does this mean anything if one reads between the lines? Miller thinks it’s because “Soto knows his price [in free agency] is climbing.” While the Yankees seem like a perfect long-term fit for Soto, it appears to be far from a sure thing.
What Kind of Contract Could Juan Soto Command This Winter?
Soto is undoubtedly heading into this winter as MLB’s top-ranked free agent. One of the biggest questions regarding his upcoming trip to the open market is how much money he’ll sign for.
In his early free agency preview on August 27, ESPN’s Jeff Passan said, “The industry agrees the floor for his contract will be $500 million.”
The Athletic’s Tim Britton has shared three Soto contract projections since the spring of 2023, and the numbers keep increasing. In all instances, the term of his contract has remained at 14 years. But the compensation has gone from $528 million to $540 million and now to $560 million.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel polled 28 executives, agents and insiders on several topics regarding Soto’s upcoming free agency on June 11. Three predicted he’d get more than $600 million. Among the 28 predictions, the highest was 10 years for $655 million.
Teams Who Could Be a Threat to the Yankees for Juan Soto
Soto’s next contract and the dollar figure attached to it will ultimately be determined by the teams that pursue him this winter.
“The Yankees surely will try hard to keep Soto come wintertime by making an offer that blows away the franchise-record, 10-year, $360-million contract that team captain Aaron Judge landed two winters ago, but he could wind up elsewhere if Hal Steinbrenner is outbid by the Mets, Dodgers, Nationals or someone else,” Miller said in his report.
That “someone else” could also be the San Francisco Giants. Several MLB.com reporters and analysts agreed they could be one of the potential front-runners for Soto. The Dodgers will also be a serious threat to sign every major free agent moving forward because of their $1 billion spending spree last offseason.
As it currently stands, it certainly seems like the Soto sweepstakes could be a showdown between the Mets and Yankees. But then again, there’s still plenty of time for the outfielder’s market to develop. One thing we can be reasonably sure of, though, is that Soto’s recent comments show he’s looking forward to testing free agency.
