The biggest change the New York Yankees made in the offseason was adding Juan Soto to their roster. In 2023, there was a clear absence of a partner in baseball crime for Aaron Judge. He was the lone superstar slugger of the NY side. When the Yankees captain suffered a toe injury that resulted in a torn ligament, the team was in deep trouble. The 2022 AL MVP had to miss 35 games in a row because of his injury. As a result, the Bronx Bombers had to deal with a weak offense. Moreover, the team would not want the last season’s predicament to repeat again. They failed to make the postseason and finished with a horrible 82-80 record.
That’s the value of superstar sluggers in the team. This year, the Yankees have two of them. It is three if Giancarlo Stanton comes into the equation. But Stanton was there last year as well. The value of Juan Soto is something that people can see in the statistics and on the field. Ever since the Dominican superstar entered the clubhouse, the team looks solid and worthy to be a World champion. Moreover, they have started the season brilliantly. That’s why having Soto on the team for just one year is not enough. Hence, his contract extension is of utmost importance for the Yankees.
Yankees Need To Figure Out A Way To Extend The Contract Of Juan Soto
The kind of player the Dominican superstar is exactly what the NY side needed to redeem themselves. As his agent, Scott Boras, puts it, “Soto’s an offense in itself.” Last year, with Judge’s absence for 35 games on the trot, the offense really let the Yankees down. But this year, so far, it has been almost two months, and the pennant vibe seems to float everywhere in the Bronx. It is because the NY side is on fire, and they have been firing from all cylinders. But the most impactful player has been Juan Soto. Due to the kind of player and his performance so far, Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman should prioritize Soto’s contract extension. But lately, the Yankees owner said their payroll is not sustainable. On the other hand, Scott Boras hinted that his client, “A Centurion,” deserves a contract that’s north of $500 million.
But the Yankees have surpassed the $300 million mark in payroll already. However, it seems like the NY side can afford the best hitter in baseball. But what they need to look at is the “Christmas list” of players who’ll enter free agency or facing arbitration. Steinbrenner and Cashman must prioritize the vacancies they will need to account for in the next free agency. As per the Yankees owner, they have distributed the funds between the veteran and youth in the team along with the player development system. Hence, they don’t necessarily need to win the championship for such a payroll, says Hal.
What Has Been The Soto Effect?
So far, Juan Soto looks like a perfect fit in the Bronx, especially with all the free agent talks and transactions. This move seems to be paying dividends to the Yankees. As of now in the 2024 regular season, the Dominican superstar is leading in five MLB categories as per the stats. In terms of most hits, most games played, highest on-base percentage, most plate appearances, and most total bases, the 2020 NL Batting champion is numero uno this season.
So far, the four-time Silver Slugger winner has hit 15 home runs, 67 hits, 46 RBIs, and 125 total bases. Moreover, Juan Soto has slashed .312/.408/.581. Currently, he is ranking among the top five hitters in the MLB. The three-time All-Star has driven in 46 runs and scored 40 times. There has been 86 runs of involvement for the Dominican superstar over two months this season. Overall, the Yankees have scored 269 runs so far.
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