SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The New York Yankees took their first step toward a reunion with star Juan Soto when general manager Brian Cashman spoke with Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, on Monday.
After the talk, Cashman said it wasn’t clear how much face time Soto will want with the Yankees as he explores free agency, since he already spent 2024 with the team.
“We’re more than willing to meet as many times as he would like to meet,” Cashman told reporters Tuesday at the general managers’ meetings at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. “But I think Scott Boras is going to talk to Juan to get a feel as to whether he felt it was necessary for us to have as (much) time in person with him as other clubs because he knows us.”
“We stand ready to do whatever,” Cashman added.
During the discussion, Boras didn’t reveal to Cashman how much money Soto seeks or what else the Dominican Republic native prioritizes for his next home.
“I’m sure there’s a minimal buy-in,” Cashman said. “And then what those cities are like, what their competitive windows are.”
Brian Cashman was asked if Steve Cohen’s net worth makes him nervous in re-signing Juan Soto:
“I think that’s just the nature of the beast. We do our best to compete with whomever on a year-in, year-out basis” pic.twitter.com/1rwPcQaGDE
— SNY (@SNYtv) November 5, 2024
Re-signing Soto stands as the Yankees’ biggest priority of the offseason. The right fielder was a major reason the Yankees reached the World Series in 2024 as he hit .288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and a .989 OPS.
At just 26 years old, Soto figures to command a record contract. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected that Soto could get a deal worth $611 over 13 years.
Here are takeaways from what Cashman said about Soto.
A midseason attempt
During the regular season, owner Hal Steinbrenner met one-on-one with Soto at Yankee Stadium, as The Athletic exclusively reported in September. The meeting was mostly about Soto’s experience in the Bronx and what the Yankees could do to improve the atmosphere for players. The next day, Boras spoke with Steinbrenner. At the time, neither Soto nor Boras wanted to talk about a contract extension, Cashman said.
“We approached him during the season, as you guys are aware,” Cashman said. “He wanted to wait until the offseason.”
The Steve Cohen factor
The New York Mets figure to be another team in the mix for Soto. Their owner Steve Cohen is perhaps the richest in the sport with Forbes estimating his net worth to be approximately $21.3 billion.
What kind of threat do the Mets pose to the Yankees’ chances of retaining Soto?
“It’s hard to say,” Cashman said. “They want to win. They’re in a large market with us. They had a taste of success this year and they want to move the needle even more forward.”
Cashman downplayed the idea of Cohen’s hefty wallet playing a factor.
“That’s just the nature of the beast and big-market owners with deep pockets aren’t the only ones signing players to big deals,” the GM said. “You’ve seen the San Diego Padres sitting out in the West Coast. They have imported a lot of big-time players with big-time contracts that they have out-competed other teams of interest for. It comes in various forms in various cities at various times.”
What’s next?
It’s unclear how long Soto will need to make his decision. Boras historically has taken as much time as needed to get top dollar for his clients. The likes of Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery (who later fired Boras) and Cody Bellinger each signed with their respective clubs after the start of spring training this year.
But Soto could be a different case. A team paying him a record sum could push for him to sign sooner so that it knows how to approach the rest of the offseason. The same would apply to teams who miss out on Soto.
“We’re in the early portion of November,” Cashman said. “It’ll play out however it plays out. It’s way too early. It’s premature for me to kind of make any commentary about (if) we’re willing to wait or we’re not willing to wait or stuff like that. The market’s just getting started.”
Still, Cashman acknowledged that time could play a role.
“Clearly, that pressure point is not on us today but it does exist in the marketplace every winter,” he said.
(Photo of Juan Soto: Harry How / Getty Images)
