The New York Yankees had been waiting for a superstar lefty hitter ever since the offseason began. Clearly, the Yankees needed someone exactly like Soto to get them out of their misery. And after the Bronx Bombers did land him this offseason, they already look stronger than ever. Moreover, the NY side is now at the top of the WAR rankings and the best outfields for 2024. That’s because of the addition of the former Padres hitter.
However, fans might wonder why Juan Soto took a big risk turning down a $440 million extension from his former team, Washington Nationals. He even won a World Series with the Nationals. But now things are making some sense. Lately, Shohei Ohtani took the baseball world by storm after signing a $700 million deal for 10 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hence, now the question is how big the contract extension would be between the Yankees and the Dominican Republic native.
How Much Impact Would Shohei Ohtani’s Contract Have On Juan Soto’s Contract Next Offseason?
The difference between Ohtani and Soto is that the Japanese is a two-way phenom. However, at 25, Juan Soto is already the best player in the world. Moreover, he signed a one-year deal with the Yankees. If both the team and the player achieve success next season, they’ll surely like to extend the contract. Moreover, Juan Soto once said he dreamt of playing for the Pinstripes. Clearly, they won’t mind to extend the contract. But Soto has a strong marketability like Shohei Ohtani. That would make him a really, very big free agent following 2024. Hence, now the question is if the Yankees have what it takes to sign him for the biggest deal like the Dodgers.
Recently, Tim Britton of The Athletic revealed how much Soto’s value would be in free agency next year. As per Britton, Soto should earn $50 million each of the first five years of his contract. Moreover, from ages 31 to 39, Soto can be eligible for 80% of Aaron Judge or just $32 million each. Hence, in short, the Dominican slugger should get an offer of a 14-year deal worth $540 million. However, Tim Britton adds that the Yankees can also push for a 15-year deal worth $575 million.
Juan Soto Was The Guy The Yankees Have Been Looking For All Along
Clearly, the NY side needed somebody to boost their offense. In the 2023 season, the Bronx Bombers had the second-worst batting average. To make things worse, the NY side failed to make the postseason after a long time since 2016. The team did not look stable as the Injured List was getting too long. Moreover, the 27-time champions had been disappointing the fans for a long time now. Clearly, they depended too heavily on the captain, Aaron Judge.
Hence, it was time to bring in another superstar who could play alongside the captain in the outfield. Moreover, the Yankees needed a lefty outfielder. There were a few options, like Cody Bellinger and others. But none more famous than Juan Soto. The Dominican Republic native had made a name for himself in the MLB as a powerhouse in itself. As his agent, Scott Boras, calls him an offense in itself.
