Free agent Juan Soto wants to get paid. He’d also like to win, if that’s not too much to ask.
The All-Star slugger’s agent, Scott Boras, told media at this week’s general manager meetings in San Antonio that Soto wants to sign with a team that shares his commitment to ‘winning,’ reported Newsday’s Erik Boland.
A free agent at age 26, Soto is expected to command a contract of $500 million or more. New York acquired him from San Diego in December, and Soto hit .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks, combining with Aaron Judge to form a powerful 1-2 punch at Nos. 2-3 in the batting order. Soto’s three-run, 10th-inning homer in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Cleveland earned the Yankees their first pennant since 2009.
After the World Series defeat, Soto said: ‘I’m going to be available for all 30 teams’ and ‘I don’t want to say anybody has any advantage.’
The good news for Yankees fans is that general manager Brian Cashman has started talks with Boras about keeping Soto with New York – and they also discussed power-hitting first baseman Pete Alonso.
Cashman said he spoke Monday with Boras at the general managers meetings and revealed he had a conversation with Soto after the season, which ended with the Yankees losing the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
‘I had a chance to thank him for everything and told him we’d be in touch,’ Cashman said Tuesday. ‘And then since that time I’ve talked to obviously Scott, as well, and so he’ll get a feel for the dance steps that Juan Soto wants and he’ll keep us in the loop.’
Cashman said New York is willing to meet with Soto as often as the player wants
Clearly that pressure point’s not on us today, but it does exist in the marketplace every winter, so those are the tough decisions you have to make,’ he added.
Top free agents include Alonso and third baseman Alex Bregman, also represented by Boras.
