$625 Million Not Enough to Keep Juan Soto In New York? Yankees Might Forced to Break Shohei Ohtani’s $700 Million Price Record

Every road leads to a pile of cash for Juan Soto. Whether it’s an extension or entering into the free agent market, Soto’s future involves a huge amount. However, while the entire league wants him, the New York Yankees are the ones who have everyone’s attention. Can they make Scott Boras do the unthinkable and make his client sign a midseason extension? Even if they do – what is the amount that can make the super agent blink? 

If there’s one thing that has been certain about Scott Boras, it’s that he very rarely vouches for extension. The agent’s entire magic depends on pitting multiple teams against each other for his clients. And this is Juan Soto we’re talking about. He’s an elite talent and is only 25. Signing him now would lead to at least a decade of consistent contribution and that’s something that every team wants. As a result, top analysts have made a bold prediction regarding Soto’s eventual valuation.

On MLB Network’s MLB Tonight Show, the panelists discussed what it would take for the Yankees to extend Soto’s deal. Multiple numbers were being thrown around during this heated discussion. The first suggestion was a 12-year $540 million while the second suggestion pushed it to a 12-year $625 million. However, Harold Reynolds shut down those talks for a basic reason.

“What I’m going with a whopping zero. It’s not going to happen (extension),” Reynolds said. Later, the top analyst noted that if Soto’s getting $600 million in May, imagine what he’d get in December or February. All the panelists agreed that Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal might be in danger of being eclipsed just one year into its existence. 

But are the Yankees ready to pony up that much cash for Soto? For that, one needs to go through their payroll and understand the Yankees’ expected payout after the 2024 season. 

Can the New York Yankees have the luxury of Juan Soto?

According to Spotrac, the Yankees’ tax payroll currently sits at $313 million – the third highest in the league. As a result, the team has crossed all tax thresholds this year. However, in 2025, this number is expected to fall quite rapidly. Most estimates put their 2025’s taxable payroll at $183 million. So if the Yankees want, they can not only afford Juan Soto but can even go on a bidding war for his services.

That’s exactly what Scott Boras wants. The super agent knows that whatever amounts he gets during an extension would be no match to what Soto can get during his free agency. So, will the talks not happen at all? They can happen. But one shouldn’t hold their breath over those talks being successful. After all – Soto has already once rejected a $440 million offer, why wouldn’t he reject something similar again?