The New York Yankees have been depending on Aaron Judge as their only superstar hitter for a long time. But it turned out to be their fatal flaw this season. As Judge was out for a month due to a toe injury, the Bronx Bombers failed to maintain a winning streak. Hence, the team is heavily dependent on the franchise’s 16th captain. Aaron Judge hit a record number of 62 home runs last season. It seemed like the captain would lead the team to the World Series this year. However, the captain stayed out for a long time. And when he returned the team was already in a very delicate situation.
As the Yankees kept losing more games, the postseason was gradually getting out of their reach. In the end, the Yankees finished the season with an 82-80 win-loss ratio. The Bronx Bombers were able to maintain their streak of winning seasons but they could not make the postseason for the first time since 2016. Hence, it has been a tremendous shame. That’s the reason why the Yankees are looking for another superstar slugger who can fit well alongside Aaron Judge. One player they might have their eyes on is Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres.
Padres Might Be Willing To Trade Juan Soto
But Soto still has a year remaining with the Padres. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the next season. Anyway, Soto is going to be a very expensive deal for the Yankees. But why does it seem like the Padres won’t mind trading the superstar? As per The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, the only reason why the Padres can look to unload Juan Soto is payroll. Moreover, the San Diego Padres are looking to decrease $50 million from their payroll.
On top of that, on Wednesday, The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin reported that the San Diego franchise took a $50 million loan for short-term cash flow issues. Also, they need the money to cover the payroll of their players. In this scenario, Juan Soto makes an estimated $30 million in the final year of his contract. That is a good reason why it makes sense for the Padres to be willing to trade him. Moreover, Juan Soto can look for a long term deal with so many options available. There is no doubt about the caliber of the Padres outfielder.
BT Says Yankees Can Only Prove Their Seriousness If They Sign Juan Soto
Recently, BT mentioned that it might seem Yankees are not serious at all if they don’t go all out for Juan Soto. The Padres need money and Soto demands a lot of money. Hence, the Yankees might have to give out a ton. Moreover, BT says that Soto can be like a magic pill for the Yankees.
And signing Soto won’t be just a big move this season but also for several following seasons. Juan Soto just turned 25 and he’s a pretty good lefty hitter. He leads the league in walks and he gets on base the most number of times. Moreover, BT says if the Yankees let Juan Soto go to other teams if he becomes a trade option then the NY side should bury their head forever and also slink to the roadside.
