Juan Soto continues to be Mr. New York Yankees. While the team has been battling consistency issues, Soto seems to be rapidly changing gears. On June 22, Soto once again played savior to the Bronx Bombers. However, this time, his act won every fan’s heart. After Tampa Bay Rays’ outfielder Jose Siri’s slow trot home frustrated the Pinstripes, Soto’s reply was met with huge cheers. But now Soto has revealed that he actually wasn’t giving a reply to the Rays slugger.

The rivalry between the Rays and the Bronx Bombers has been raging on for a few seasons now. Despite there being a huge gap in both the teams’ payrolls, their games are usually very competitive, which has led to players fighting and bragging rights over each other. So, while Soto may have denied that his gradual walk was a reply, it has subsequently riled up the Rays fanbase. But for the Childish Bambino, this was nothing more than a self-preservation exercise, an exercise that shows how clever this 25-year-old is when it comes to baseball.

Juan Soto claims his intention was never to take a jab

When Tampa Bay Rays’ hitter Jose Siri hit a homer, he was enjoying every moment of it. The athlete ‘jogged’ to cover all the bases and took half a minute for the same. While the reason for the same wasn’t clear, it was possible that Siri was tasting how sweet a homer can be. Later on, Juan Soto did something similar when he was on the field when the home run was hit.

The fanbase thought that it was a reply to Siri’s celebration trot, but Bryan Hoch revealed that Soto had confessed, “I don’t know what [Jose Siri] was doing, actually. I just don’t know. For me, I just — you know, hot weather. Tough day. Tried to save the hammies and make sure I go nice and easy.”

According to the Yankees star, he was slow running to safeguard his hamstrings. This home run took him 37 seconds to complete. So, it was only natural for the fans to feel like he was taking a shot at Jose Siri. It’s due to such moments that the Yankees fans don’t want him to leave his team just yet.

What could be the possibilities around Juan Soto’s future in the MLB?

The MLB has entered the second half of the season. While it is exciting that we are getting closer to the championship match, some of us may not be happy considering how Juan Soto will probably become a free agent after the current season ends. Although there have been talks about how the Yankees owner wishes to extend the star’s contract with the team, it is unlikely to happen considering his past record of not signing an extension during the year.

So, there are only a few outcomes that this situation could give us: Juan Soto extends his contract, or he becomes a free agent. Even if he becomes a free agent, he could eventually come around under the same management in the MLB if he wishes to. It seems like this is definitely what the fans would want considering how entertained they are with the chemistry that he shares with some of his teammates.

If he remains in the team, we may be able to see him pulling off similar hilarious moments for the Yankees, and if not, only time will tell where he will be off to next, keeping his fans hooked for his next appearance. Would you like to see Juan Soto pull off more slow trots for the rest of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.