Likely to secure a long-term deal in the $500 million range as a free agent this offseason, All-Star slugger Juan Soto is open to re-signing with the New York Yankees, though he will have many suitors. “If I knew the future,” Soto remarked at All-Star media day on Tuesday, “I would play the lottery. Nobody knows the future. At the end of the day, I’m enjoying this moment, representing the New York Yankees. … I’m very happy to be part of (the game), but nobody knows what will happen next year.”
As he prepared for his fourth consecutive All-Star Game on Tuesday — his first as a starter — at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Soto expressed his eagerness to settle in a major league city for several years. “It’s a little uncomfortable wearing different jerseys and changing teams,” Soto admitted in Spanish. “I’m looking forward to wearing one for a long time.”
Soto, 25, was an All-Star in 2022 with the Washington Nationals before being traded before the deadline. Last summer, he participated in the Midsummer Classic with the San Diego Padres but was traded to the Yankees last winter. In his first season with the Yankees on a one-year, $31 million deal, Soto has hit .295 with 23 homers and 66 RBIs in 94 games, forming a powerful duo with Aaron Judge, the majors’ home run leader with 34. “Soto’s been amazing,” Judge said. “He’s the best hitter I’ve ever seen.”
Will Soto and Judge be teammates beyond 2024? “Who wouldn’t want to be with a team that wins?” Soto said. “For me, while you’re on a winning team, it’s always good to be there and be a part of it.” Besides the Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants are expected to pursue Soto. Even the Nationals could be in the mix.
“That decision’s all based on him and his family and what they want to do and what feels right,” Judge said. “As a teammate, it’s just about being supportive for him and showing him what New York can offer. … I wish him nothing but the best. He’s going to make the right decision for what’s best for him.”
After the All-Star break, Soto and the Yankees aim to recover from losing 18 of their last 26 games and falling behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. As of June 19, New York had the majors’ best record. “Nobody said it would be easy,” Soto said. “At the beginning it looked like it was easy, but of course it’s not that easy.”
