The New York Yankees have improved their pursuit of Juan Soto in order to acquire him long-term.
On Wednesday, MLB insider Jon Heyman claimed that the Yankees have a better feel about the possibility of re-signing Soto. He added that Soto likes the Yankees’ clubhouse and that the two sides have had good talks recently.
“I feel better about the Yankees’ chances than ever before.”
— Jon Heyman pic.twitter.com/92Vi0CldEW
— Joe Randazzo 📚📕📖 (@LibrarianJoe_) December 4, 2024
The consensus in the baseball world is that the Soto sweepstakes ended up being a contest between four teams. The Yankees are competing against the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox to acquire the 26-year-old slugger.
Soto is the biggest takeaway of the offseason. He was a four-time All-Star, three-time All-MLB First Team selection, won the Silver Slugger Award five consecutive years, and helped the Washington Nationals win the 2019 World Series.
Soto had a great season after the San Diego Padres traded him to the Yankees before the 2024 season. He had a batting average of .288, an on-base percentage of .419, and a slugging percentage of .569. His .989 OPS ranked third in baseball. He had 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 119 strikeouts against 129 walks. He also posted a WAR of 7.9, a career high.
Soto’s free agency period is not expected to last long. According to reports, a resolution could be reached as early as next week’s winter session.
