Will the Yankees Follow in the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Footsteps, With Juan Soto’s Free Agency Next Year?

Amidst the hullabaloo of winter meetings, the New York Yankees made a massive move this Wednesday. They clinched outfielder Juan Soto in what could be deemed one of the biggest trades in MLB history. However, an impactful deal made by one of the rival teams poses a big question for the Bronx Bombers’ future. How willing will they be to keep Soto on the team for the long term, even if it means splurging big?

The Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees’ arch-NL rival, recently snatched off the biggest free agency attraction of the year, Shohei Ohtani. They secured the two-way phenom in a baffling $700 million long-term deal. The contract opened up the future for MLB like few others have; teams can now be quite flexible in terms of markups and tenures. Given that Soto will be finally realizing his free agency dream next season, will the Evil Empire be willing to follow the Dodgers’ groundbreaking financial playstyle?

The New York Yankees’ long-term motto for Juan Soto

According to MLB insider and ESPN columnist Jeff Passan, the Yankees are focusing on getting back to their glory days by becoming “the mecca of baseball.” Their GM, Brian Cashman, revealed that despite Juan Soto’s year-long contract, he hopes to see the slugger stay on the team for longer. That brings a certain financial factor into play.

The New York Yankees have seldom shied away from splurging big when it comes to clinching winsome prospects. Take their captain, for instance. According to a Sportrac report, Aaron Judge is projected to earn a salary of $40 million a year from 2024 onward. Comparatively, Soto’s $33 million deal for a year seems rather costly for a trial run. But Cashman isn’t worried about that at all.

For him, the probability of winning by getting both Soto and Judge to play together factors more than the cost that might ensue in the near future. Juan Soto is all set to pursue his free agency dreams after 2024 is over. Although it looks like the sluggers’ past just might clinch him an Ohtani-like deal in the Yankees dugout if Cashman’s comments are any hint.

According to Cashman, “The culture we have with the Yankees that we project constantly is our intent to win. We’re here. We’re in it to win it. So that’s messaging that’s constantly being reinforced,” he continued. And the team’s behavior proves the same.

Clinching quality: why should Soto stay with the Yanks for a longer term?

Given the Yankees’ affinity for signing their best players on long-term deals, missing out on Soto doesn’t make any sense, regardless of how the team fares in the coming season. Soto is just 24 years old right now. Locking his skillset down for the long term seems very feasible given the Yanks’ abundance of resources. Not only can they provide him with a competitive environment to thrive in, but they will also bring fame to the star player. Along with Judge, Soto can build the winning team that the Yankees have been searching for for so long.

Read More: How the New York Yankees’ Juan Soto Ploy Outsmarted Blue Jays, Leaving Toronto Reeling

The Dodgers’ $700 million deal for 10 years with Shohei Ohtani made certain that the entire MLB will be on the lookout for more offers like that in the future. Whether the New York Yankees offer a similar one to secure Juan Soto or not is something that only time will decide.

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