Aaron Judge gave a major scare to the Yankee fans last winter when he refused to commit to the New York Yankees and entered free agency. The idea of losing one of the best hitters in the league scared the passionate Yankee fanbase to life. Additionally, Judge let minimal details out regarding his plans, which further frustrated the Yankee supporters.
However, at the end of the day, Aaron Judge returned to his den, the New York Yankees, in a nine-year, $360 million mega contract, which also included the captaincy duties. Having said that, the Yanks newly acquired superstar Juan Soto is standing at the same juncture Judge was last winter. Thus, WFAN host Ryan Chichester drew similarities and predicted how Soto would follow in the footsteps of Aaron Judge.
Juan Soto’s Free Agency Plans Decoded By WFAN Host Ryan Chichester!
The New York Yankees traded generational star Juan Soto in a blockbuster deal with San Diego Padres. However, the outfielder is only a one-year rental piece, as he is set to become a free agent by the end of the 2024 season. Also, Soto refused to shed light on his future plans during the introductory press conference held earlier this week. However, WFAN host Ryan Chichester says that fans must not pick up everything Soto says about his extension with the Bronx Bombers. As per Ryan, the 25-year-old will pick a leaf out of Yankee captain Aaron Judge’s free agency handbook to up his stakes.
Ryan Chichester further claimed that just like Aaron Judge, Juan Soto would also explore free agency whilst keeping the extension door open. This way, he can fetch a much bigger contract, probably the richest after Shohei Ohtani. Judge pulled off a similar stunt last summer. He met with the Giants and Padres, which helped him fetch a few million more as Hal Steinbrenner signed him out of desperation. However, with Soto, the stakes are higher. The outfielder is just 25. And if the Yankees manage to negotiate, they can lock him for the next decade, again similar to how Aaron Judge was locked in possibly till the end of his MLB career. Additionally, whichever team Soto signs with, he knows that it will probably be the last contract he will ever sign. Thus, the generational talent seems highly unlikely to settle for anything less than what he thinks he deserves.
‘YamaSoto’ Not Happening For Yankees, Says Keith McPherson!
After Juan Soto, the New York Yankees’ next big off-season target is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Pitching reinforcement is the need of the hour, and Yamamoto seems to be an ideal fit. However, the LA Dodgers are aggressive and might push Yanks out of the picture, feels Keith McPherson. “You’ve heard ‘YamaSoto.’ You haven’t heard ‘YamamOhtani.’ That’s more realistic than ‘YamaSoto.'” Keith said.
Both Yankees and Dodgers met with Yamamoto this week. While the Yanks had to fly to LA, the Dodgers hosted the pitcher at their ballpark, surrounded by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. So far, both teams remain front-runners to land the ace pitcher. But Yamamoto has yet to make the final decision. Hope is that the pitcher makes up his mind by the end of the week.
