Coming off from a forearm injury, Soto managed to put off a decent performance. But, it all went down in vain against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday. After all the efforts from a single player, the New York Yankees lost 8-4, posting a horrendous defeat. As usual, Juan Soto was brilliant as he went 1-for-3 following a home run and two walks against the Red Sox. It all came down to the potent offense of the Red Sox, which made all the difference during the game. 

Soto hit his 18th homer against Justin Slaten in the seventeenth inning. Also, Carlos Rodon, who was riding high in confidence, was taken apart by the Red Sox hitters. Eventually, the Red Sox capitalized on the situation as Tyler O-Neill and Jamie Westbrook contributed with RBIs, making the road for the Red Sox’s victory. 

After the loss against the Red Sox, a tired-looking Soto spoke with the reporters. Talking about the missed opportunities and insights about the game, he said, “Tough night. I mean, we hit a couple of balls,” Soto told reporters. “We’re good at bats. We just couldn’t find the hole. At the end of the day, we did what we’re supposed to do every day: put guys on base, tried to put traffic in, and tried to get that close hit. The close hit didn’t come up today, but it is what it is.“

Soto looked confident in today’s match after his recent injury against the Minnesota Twins. He was throwing balls at full flow, and it seemed he had almost recovered. Despite the team losing and him battling an injury, Soto’s performance has always been top-notch. He continues to play for his team, and putting on great numbers has been a cakewalk for him. Currently, he has hit 18 homers, 55 RBI, has four stolen bases, scored 58 runs, and has an impressive .319/.435/.599 slash line in his past 70 games for the 2024 season. 

Juan Soto for the Yankees & his future deals

The December deal with the San Diego Padres to sign Juan Soto proved a gold mine for the franchise. The 25-year-old slugger, often compared with Ted Williams, has been worth $31 million. Throughout his 68 games played for the Yankees, he’s batting at .320 and has an impressive 1.-025 OPS. 

He lands Just behind Aaron Judge in the major league rankings, and together, the duo has given commendable performances. Right from his first game, where he knocked out a runner, resulting in the Yankee’s victory, he has been a proactive team player. However, the Yankees have Soto only for the current season, as he will be a free agent post 2024.

This brings in Scott Boras, as he has set the base price of Soto to be $500 million. As stated by him, Soto is a “centurion” player who can be among the elite list of top 100 MLB players of all time. Additionally, on ESPN, a panel of experts evaluated Soto’s true value, which came to be a staggering $600 million plus.

Also, with the Mets looming around to get Soto, owner Hal Steinbrenner will have to try his best to get Soto yet again. At last, the Yankees fans have to play their part in matches where Soto plays. If they can shower their love for Soto and make him believe he is a true Yankee and they love him unconditionally, he might hint at a contract extension to stay with the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season.