For the first time in a long time, the New York Yankees might not have the scratch to compete with the sport’s heaviest hitters in free agency.
Randy Miller of NJ.com made an appearance on WFAN on Friday, November 30, during which he said that he has heard the Yankees won’t be able to go higher than $550 million for Soto. Miller added that he “believes,” though is not outright reporting, that Soto may already have multiple offers of $600 million-plus from competitors like the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.
“I’m hearing the Yankees fear the Red Sox more than anyone,” Miller said, per Danny Abriano of SNYtv. “I think the Mets are definitely in play and the Red Sox are in play. And I don’t think he’s going to the Yankees.”
Red Sox Join Mets as Yankees’ Greatest Competition for Juan Soto Based on Most Recent Report
GettyJuan Soto of the New York Yankees may leave the franchise after just one season, which ended in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
The crosstown rival Mets have been in the conversation as a top rival for Soto since before the World Series ended, though Miller’s elevation of the Red Sox to that category is newer and picking up steam.
In his most recent prediction, Andy McCollough of The Athletic has Soto heading to Queens to join the Mets, as they have the most financial strength in MLB along with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Scott Boras referred to Soto as ‘the Mona Lisa of the museum.’ Steve Cohen is baseball’s most prolific art collector,” McCullough wrote on November 29. “We looked like knuckleheads last year when our galaxy-brained take on Shohei Ohtani led us to forecasting him joining the Texas Rangers. No need to complicate things. Cohen has the deepest pockets. He will dip into them to sign Soto to the richest (present-day value, for sure) contract in baseball history.”
Other franchises that insiders have linked to interest in Soto — beyond the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets — include the Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays.
Juan Soto’s Sole Season With Yankees Could Result in $700 Million Deal
GettyJuan Soto could leave the New York Yankees for a deal worth upwards of $700 million.
Soto, who is just 26 years old, hit the jackpot statistically during a contract year, the result of which could be a deal approaching (or even surpassing) $700 million in total — depending on how competitive MLB’s heavy hitters want to get.
He cracked 41 home runs and drove in 109 runs last season, while scoring 128 runs of his own and drawing 129 walks. He also batted .288 with an on-base percentage of .419 and a slugging percentage of .569, per Baseball Reference.
Soto has earned All-Star Game appearances in each of the past four seasons and finished second, third and sixth in league MVP voting during three campaigns over that stretch. He has played seven years in MLB and been a member of the Yankees, San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals during his career.
