The New York Yankees recently received the superstar Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. In return, they had to trade several talented players like Michael King and Drew Thorpe. Anyway, that was the first blockbuster trade in the current offseason. Soto debuted in the league back in 2015. The lefty hitter from the Dominican Republic went on to win a World Series with the Washington Nationals. Moreover, the Washington franchise wanted him to play for them for a long time. That’s the reason why they offered him a 15-year deal worth $440 million.
But Juan Soto turned it down. Later, the Nationals traded him to the San Diego Padres. Finally, in December 2023, Soto joined the team where he had always wanted to be. But the 25-year-old superstar would be a free agent at the end of the next season. Anyhow, the Yankees would likely offer him an extension. And who knows, maybe this time, Juan Soto won’t turn down an extension. But to stick with the Yankees Soto might need an even bigger extension than what the Nationals once offered him.
Why The Yankee Stadium Suits Juan Soto Perfectly?
In the eight years he has been in the MLB, Juan Soto has been a fan favorite, and his offensive prowess makes him desirable for almost every franchise. Moreover, the Yankees lacked a lefty slugger and someone with a good base percentage. Juan Soto can really help the Bronx Bombers to get rid of those weaknesses. His agent Scott Boras likes to call Soto an “Offense in itself.” In 2023, Juan Soto had a 3.3 WAR. Moreover, in 778 games, Soto has a career 28.6 WAR. Last season, Juan Soto hit 35 home runs, scored as many as 97 runs, and drove in about 109 runs.
Moreover, in 17 attempts, he stole 12 bases and walked 132 times in those. There are also some fans and experts who claim San Diego’s Petco Park did not help Juan Soto’s productivity. If that’s true, then the Yankee Stadium should make a huge difference. In Yankee stadium, it is only 314 feet from the home plate where the right field bleachers are. Hence, it perfectly fits Soto’s bat swing and offensive power. Now, it will be interesting to see what he can achieve next season batting in that stadium.
Now All Eyes Back On The Unicorn
The two most notable free agents this current season were Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Since Soto went to the Pinstripe for a year, now all eyes are on Shohei Ohtani. The two closest teams who are in contention to land the unicorn are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. But there is still no confirmation of where the Japanese superstar is heading. Some expert says he rules Japan and the US now, perhaps it’s time for Ohtani to rule Canada.
Anyhow, until the Ohtani trade gets confirmation, the whole MLB is talking about what it means for Juan Soto to wear the iconic pinstripe uniform. The former Padres star mentioned a long time ago that it was his dream to play for the Yankees. But he debuted in MLB back in 2015 for the Washington Nationals.
