Juan Soto of the New York Yankees is set to hit free agency this offseason and is open to signing with any team. Despite being traded by two different teams in his MLB career, he has no list of teams he won’t sign with and is willing to listen to any offers. Soto emphasized that he is not closing any doors and is open to negotiating with anyone interested in signing him.
When asked specifically about the San Diego Padres, Soto stated that he will not shut them or anyone out in negotiations. However, he made it clear that his focus right now is on the present and on helping the Yankees win a championship in 2024. There has been speculation surrounding Soto’s impending free agency, stemming from his rejection of a 15-year, $440 million extension from the Nationals in 2022 and subsequent trades to the Padres and then the Yankees.
Soto is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who typically takes his clients to free agency to maximize their earning potential. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner expressed his desire to keep Soto in New York for the rest of his career and plans to have extension talks with Boras before Soto enters free agency. However, Steinbrenner also acknowledged that the Yankees’ current $300 million payroll may not be sustainable, given the potential cost of Soto’s contract, which could surpass $500 million.
Assuming Soto reaches free agency, it is expected that numerous teams, including the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Padres, will be interested in signing him. Other competitive teams that were in the bidding for Shohei Ohtani, such as the Giants, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Mariners, could also be involved in the bidding war for Soto. Steinbrenner and the Yankees may want to keep Soto, but his free agency process will likely be strategic and could rival the intensity of Ohtani’s free agency in 2023.
