In one of the most significant off-season moves, the New York Yankees traded generational star Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. The risky yet bold trade move included five major league-ready players the Bronx Bombers chose to sacrifice for one year of Soto’s services in pinstripes.
Juan Soto is entering his walk year in 2024 and will be allowed to enter free agency unrestricted next off-season. Of course, the New York Yankees will play every card possible to extend Soto. However, the odds of retaining a $500 million market-value player remain uncertain. And it seem general manager Brian Cashman has conceded already.
Yankees GM Offers Honest Take On Juan Soto’s Free Agency Uncertainty!
Juan Soto will likely be pursued by half of the league if he enters free agency next year. The generational talent was traded on one-year rental to the New York Yankees this year. While Soto is enjoying the vibe of Bronx, the odds of him choosing to extend his stay in New York looks bleak. Its because the slugger’s market value is expected to sky rocket to $500 million. And the Yanks certainly do not have that much space on the payroll to accommodate the outfielder. Therefore, the general expectations is that Juan Soto will enter free agency next off-season. And to further squash minimal hope, Yanks general manager Brian Cashman echoed the same sentiment. “Our expectation is that he’s (Soto) going to go into free agency,” Cashman said.
That being said, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge refused to concede unlike Brian Cashman. In a pre-season interview, Judge said he will make every effort to make sure Soto has the best year of his career in pinstripes. And as a teammate, the captain will try his best to convince the generational talent to stay with the Bronx Bombers. Needless to say, no one in New York wants to part with Soto. However, the payroll issue is something cannot be undermined by managing partner Hal Steinbrenner as he has to adhere to luxury tax regulation. The franchise has already suffered penalties once and is on its course for being accountable for a second offense this year. Thus, by the early looks of it, Juan Soto’s extension with the New York Yankees beyond the 2024 season looks highly unlikely.
Aaron Judge Ramps Up For Opening Day After Abs Injury Scare
After a whole week’s of absence due to abs injury, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has resumed hitting. The slugger hit off the tee and did soft toss before hitting off the machine on Sunday. Notably, Judge has been missing in action since last Sunday after experiencing concerning discomfort in his abdominal region.
He underwent MRI scans, which came back clean. However, Aaron Judge chose to rest for an entire week regardless to avert the risk of aggravation. Opening day participation is the ultimate goal, and Judge is saving himself for the March 28 series against the Houston Astros. “I’ll be back out there soon. The most important thing is Opening Day,” Judge said.
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