Juan Soto and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had a one-on-one meeting in July, reports Brendan Kuty of the Athletic. The four-time All-Star confirmed the conversation, telling Kuty that “it was good to get to know the owner, get to see what he’s thinking about me and everything.”
Soto didn’t provide any specifics. However, Kuty reports that the general focus of the conversation was on Soto’s experience with the team. “It’s always good to see (an owner) coming over at least to say hi,” the outfielder told The Athletic, “see how we’re doing, what we have in mind, this and that. It’s great to have an owner that really cares for players.”
Steinbrenner hasn’t been shy about his desire to keep the superstar in pinstripes. The owner said in May that he was open to in-season extension talks. Soto closed that down a few weeks later, reiterating in June that he and agent Scott Boras would wait until the offseason to worry about contract terms. Considering Soto has reportedly declined a number of extension offers throughout his career, there was never much doubt that he’d test free agency.
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The Yankees are going to face a push from the crosstown Mets and should have some amount of competition for Soto’s services from every high-payroll franchise. One meeting between Soto and Steinbrenner isn’t going to change the odds of keeping him around, but it’s presumably a bit of a preview of the months to come.
Soto has established a new career high with 41 homers during his first season in the Bronx. He leads the American League with 128 runs scored and is hitting .288/.418/.572 across 704 trips to the plate. By measure of wRC+, Soto has been 80 percentage points better than a league average batter. That’s his best mark in a 162-game schedule.
Offer him the Ohtani deal (in today’s money)…. 10 for $460M, take it or leave it
I honestly can see him getting a $500 million dollar contract. We’ll see though. I know the Mets are going to be all in as well and with Boras as his agent it’s going to get interesting.
Or he will hold up the market for the few FA players until spring training again.
I can see 600M. No hyperbole either. I am serious. That’s over 14/15 years (for luxury tax purposes).
I defer my prediction on Soto’s contract.
Cohen will blow that offer away.
Cohen has almost committed enough fraud to run for office.
What do Officer Carl and the Chicago White Sox have in common? Pretty much everything.
WINS-LOW
Top notch Bazinga right there
Halos- He’s commited enough to be another recent NYC criminal mayor. It’s become routine in NYC.. Become a mayor? BANG.. Fraud, bribery.. U name it. How many in a row now?
not sure “take it or leave it” is anything theyre approaching soto with at this moment…
For Georgie’s sake, sign the player…
Leave it
Who would even be sane enough to think of Soto and the white Sox in the same sentence?
Carl is south side’s finest. Whole Winslow clan lean White Sox over the Cubs.
White Sox love Carl so much they decided to keep their wins low.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=LCe1WsjFp3Y
Carl, don’t do this to yourself. You already told Eddie about the troubles of drinking. And now you’ve graduated to signed pictures of Ron Karkovice? What’s next?
Urkel is a Cubs fan. That’s where it all started.
How’s Laura and Eddie doing?
He was thinking 2040 season.
Yeah, it was tough seeing superstar Tucupita Marcano get that lifetime ban.
-Carl Winslow.
How dare you! Everyone knew that this year was Marcano’s big breakout year. Manfred didn’t want him outshining golden boys Ohtani and Soto, so they made him the fall guy.
-Carl Winslow (it’s a common name, which I also happen to have)
Hi we all have the same name!
Signing off,
– Carl Winslow
I always got Philip Banks vibes from you. But, as a fellow Carl Winslow, welcome to the club, brother.
Drop a dong after your name. Then all the other Carl winslows on this site can see we are united! We are all Winslow!
If you aren’t with the winslows, you are against the winslows.
The Carl Winslow union is going on strike! We Carl’s Winslowses want rights! We are discriminated because we aren’t identified as Carl Winslow!
With best regards,
–Carl Winslow the 3rd
Steinbrenner will make it very difficult to be outbid for Soto. He is a perfect fit in New York. He has and will continue to draw more Hispanic fans to the base, as there is already a large population in the city. I see Hal spearheading negotiations much like he did when he bypassed Brian Cashman to secure Aaron Judge. Yankee fans say they need pitching and to save their money instead of signing Soto. But Steinbrenner will do what it takes to make money before winning championships.
With Judge, Cole, and Stanton already on the team with high-$$$ contracts and Steinbrenner’s comments earlier this season that a $300M payroll is “unsustainable” it will be interesting to see whether they can square that circle.
I think the only way Steinbrenner allows him to walk is if they win the World Series this year.
I don’t think any Yankees fan has said that they need more starting pitching. Next season, they have Cole (no opt-out), Rodon, Schmidt, Gil, Stroman and Cortes (final arb year). Then there are Will Warren and Cody Poteet making a total of 8 starters.
They do need fresh arms in the pen to replace expiring contracts.
Soto is close with his parents. It’s easier for them to visit NYC from DR than the west coast. He also has extended family in NYC. All pluses.
Cortes will be non tendered rather than risk paying $9 million for an injury such as Flex tendon strain. Stroman will be traded. I can see Yankees sign Snell on a 4/120 deal
Trading Stroman doesn’t really do them a lot of good. They pay half the 18m he’s owed in ’25 and *maybe* get a low level wildcard prospect in return.
Days of the over hyped Stroman as some type of front end SP are way past over. he’s a back end innings eater, signed to a huge 18m AAV.
@Anthony maresca
Not a chance Cortes gets non-tendered. If he’s hurt, the Yankees can negotiate to offer him arb and then a light pillow deal for ’26. You simply don’t let an asset like him go. Have you seen what guys like Kyle Gibson, Severino, Montas, etc. signed for this season. Cortes’ arb salary won’t even be close to those deals.
YBC, Stating who the NYYs will have next season is assuming zero injuries, and regression. As much reasonable hope there is for Will Warren to be productive, young pitching is unreliable. Look at how Kyle Harrison has regressed this season after a promising debut last year.
Sticking with the Giants, last offseason I thought they’d have Alex Cobb, Tristan Beck, and Keaton Winn, as well as hoping for good production from Harrison, and Mason Black. None of that happened. The old adage is true that you can’t have enough pitching, and I think the Yankees will need more than what they’ve got now.
There’s always those possibilities but @baseballpurists is saying that Yankees fans would prefer pursuing a starter over a Soto sweepstakes. That’s not the team’s priority.
You may be right. I can see Soto as being the priority for them. IMO though they’ll have a better shot at a title if they prioritize Snell instead.
Thing is tho YBC, it’s a pretty weak market FA wise overall and Boras has most of the Hi end talent. History shows he drags his feet most every time with “his” FA talent, that’s probably why Stinbrenner had that meeting with Soto earlier in an attempt to convince him to sign/think about returning before possibly Feb/March, which is a all to familiar habit of Boras.
Can’t say a bad decision to try it and with Burnes, Snell Soto, Bregman, maybe Bellinger as hi end talent and who knows who left out? Hard to see how Boras can adequately see to needs properly to them all anyway.
I think Hal recognizes elite talent and leadership when he sees it. After his dad passed, he’s built personal relationship with ARod, CC, Judge, Cole, and now Soto. For better or worse, ARod took Cano and Melky and a few others under his wing. I doubt Hal and Soto even talked numbers. Soto does carry himself like a leader on and off the field after watching him this season.
Boras Corp has around 70 employees. He’s the face and voice but he’s not dealing with every minute detail with every team’s GM and brass.
YBC,
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Holmes free agency works out. They’re obviously not going to bring him back at this point (especially with Weaver taking the steering wheel in the closer role).
I’m not opposed to bringing Holmes back but not as closer and closer money. He’ll rightfully seek a closer contract in FA.
I think that your tinfoil hat is too tight.
ESPN still covers baseball?
@cainer espn+ carries like one game a day. MLB doesn’t care what ESPN thinks. They care about what MLB thinks. MLB wants MLB TV to be the main source for games so they can cut out middlemen like Ballys from taking their cut of the pie.
Soto will sign with the highest bidder only.
It will not be the Washington Nationals but please, God, let it be the Washington Nationals.
Haha! Thats the way I feel about the Giants.
The contract is going to be a doozy and the price in his and Boras mind might be higher than the total dollars the Yanks spent on Judge and Cole considered his age.
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the following #’s are what they are thinking:
Age 26-30 – 5yr/300m
Age 31-40 – 10yr/400m
Total – 15yr/700m
In the end I think it’ll be a 10-12 year deal (500-600m) with an opt after age 30, like Boras has done with his other mid 20’s superstar free agents like Alex Rodriguez and Manny Machado.
An opt-out at 30 makes sense for a 12-year deal plus two vesting options for years 13-14 which takes him through age 39.
Shallow Hal thought he could make headway with Soto in a personal meeting.
Boras just sits back and laughs, knowing he’s already told the Dodgers they will get the last bid on the free agent superstar this winter.
I don’t see the Dodgers being in the mix for Soto at all. They need starting pitching.
YBC- Isn’t that a fact. So many potential impact rotaion arms, but equally suspect health. Hard to think of any team, ever have so many arms, like the LAD with health concerns. They are going to just about have to bring in 2 SP as bridges to people coming back from TJ and as insurance fror guys like Dustin May who seems to be always injured and will be returning before the AS break from TJ.
Even the Dodgers have their payroll limits. I don’t see them involved with this in a serious way.
Age ALWAYS higher.
I don’t think any Yankees fan has said that they need more starting pitching. Next season, they have Cole, Rodon, Schmidt, Gil, and Cortes (final arb year). Then there are Will Warren and Cody Poteet. They do need fresh arms in the pen to replace expiring contracts.
So nice ya gotta say it twice, eh? Quit braggin’ YBC
😉
Just don’t give him too many years. Look at Griffey JR, Trout, Miguel Cabera, Arod. They started their career early and hit the wall quick. Give more early yet a 11 years deal not longer.
The Yankees will keep Soto if they want him. He knows endorsements are better when you’re a Yankee or Dodger. They will pay him if they want him. Only they and the Dodgers can afford anything they want.
And the Mets. That’s what I expect to happen. The Mets will blow away the field and make it a one team race for Soto. I also expect, in true Mets fashion, the contract will become a spectacular disaster.
I don’t see Cohen doing this unless he believes it will bring a championship. I don’t think this would do it.
CardsFan57, Why would you think that about Cohen? He could see Soto as a big upgrade over Alonso. He came into his ownership talking big and spending money. It’s only because 2023 was so disappointing for them with, what looked like, a better shot in 2025, that the spending was kept in check this season. But he’s always expressed a willingness to take a Peter Seidler approach to spending, and Soto is clearly the best FA in 2025. Exactly the type Seidler would have had Preller pursue.
“Only they (Yankees) and the Dodgers can afford anything they want.”
Not really, The Met’s and Giants have all the money they need to also sign anyone they want. The Giants’ offers to Judge and Ohtani equaled what those guys accepted from the Yankees and Dodgers. The Met’s have spent a ton. Other owners have the money but not the inclination like the Yankees, Dodgers, Met’s, and Giants, to spend the money.
The smart players know that endorsements are much better with the Yankees and Dodgers. Owners rarely spend their own money. They didn’t get to be super rich by spending money they didn’t need to spend.
You’re correct, in general. Most owners aren’t willing to spend their own money (for anything). But Seidler was an exception, and so is Cohen. Their reasons for doing so are/were different.
Cohen has so much money that any excess he spends on his baseball team is a small percentage of his wealth. Should he be willing to shoulder the entirety of an $60m AAV for Soto, it would amount to just 0.00000375% of Cohen’s wealth. He probably makes more in the interest of his principal than anything he spends to supplement the budget.
A small percentage of owners, Cohen being one, are willing to spend more for the prestige that comes with a WS title. I wouldn’t count the Met’s out of any possible FA signing. If they fail to sign anyone they want it’s because that guy wanted to sign elsewhere.
The only input I have on this is that the Giants have big money with the bay all to themselves now, paid in full ballpark and pretty big investments around the ballpark also. I think it’s going to be like every other star, where does he want to play, cause the dollars are going to be there.
Except Steve Cohen has way more money than the both of them combined.
If Soto wants to go to the highest bidder then its clearly the Mets. Cohen is ridiculous with his wealth. I have no doubt he will outbid baby Steinbrenner. But in my gut i believe Soto wants the Yankees. Its gonna be a crazy courtship
Cohen has already shown there’s a limit to how much of his personal wealth will spend for the team. I don’t see him doing this unless he believes it will put them over the top for a championship. I don’t think this would put them over the top.
That meeting and 20 bucks in New York will get you a Starbucks coffee.
*$25
I’d give him over $300M, but I only have $280M 🙁
That’s not true. They took a step back this off-season but just watch how much they spend this coming off-season. Cohen is just a fan plain and simple. He wants to win. One position player doesn’t put any team over the top. Baseball doesn’t work that way. The Mets are already about a 90 win team so certainly he helps them get closer to their goal.
Soto going to the highest bidder. Probably won’t be the Yankees.
If it’s a pure bidding war, and most of the time it is, and Cohen decides he will not be outbid, he’ll be a Met. I guess you could say that about any owner, but, as we all know, Cohen has the deepest pockets.
If Soto wants the biggest payday possible, he should bring in ex-Yankee staffer George Costanza as a special consultant. George honed his negotiating skills in those grueling talks with NBC over the pilot. He won’t let Soto get anything than what Ted Danson is getting!
704 trips to the plate?
Yes. He had 794 PA coming into tonights game.
~578
Which is pretty close. It’s OK. He’s in charge of the nukes.
He was probably thinking of Charlotte Mckinney anyways…..
Certainly a full season in any case.
704*
Truth be told, I’m glad the Yanks are enjoying a career year from Soto! We love King and Cease (by proxy)
No love for Higgy?!?! 🙂
Tons! Just sad the Higgy Bank is a FA “soon”
:,)
At least Cease is on a playoff team and not wasting his talent with the dumpster fire White Sox. Glad he gave the Padres a great season!
Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees are the front runners, in my opinion. Giants as a dark horse. I believe the Padres are not likely, but I never completely rule Preller out. I wonder if the Phillies owner would spend some more “stupid money”. Nationals-to be determined.
Go win the World Series with him, then let him bounce. He’s a great player, but no one is worth 500M. We’ll maybe Ohtani if he’s producing on both sides of the ball. There will be some good options out there when he leaves.
The Phillies could be an interesting match. His BF in Trea Turner is on the team, he’d reunited with Bryce Harper and he loves hitting in the NL East.
Schwarber and Castellanos don’t have many years left and one or both could be moved to help fit him in. Getting a young star added to the mix would be a big plus as well as all their other stars are over 30.
Think the Yankees might decline to extend the QO to Soto out of respect, sorta like what the Dodgers did with Clayton Kershaw? Their endgame is to get Soto signed and if they sign him they don’t get a draft pick regardless of whether or not they extended the QO.
No. It’s business and he understands this. A declined QO won’t effect Soto’s market.
Sure it will. Teams don’t place a premium of zero dollars on that draft pick. And like I said if they do sign him they get no draft pick QO or otherwise.
He’s half their offense and desperately needed. 13/600.
That is what free agency is all about, over paying.
600 millions later who cares?
40 millions 15 years. That is exactly 600 millions, so don’t be surprised if the bidding goes up.
Hope they sniffed out the situation well and asked Juan what he wants:
1) Winning and fair market contract
2) Is this decision all about getting the most
If I were Hal, I would say we’ll come within 5% of the highest offer knowing Juan values winning and legacy!