Juan Soto, a 25-year-old generational star slugger, is currently on a career-high run with the New York Yankees. Having arrived in the Bronx in April this year via a blockbuster trade, Soto has been unbelievably impressive. He is not only scoring but also paving the way for Aaron Judge to unleash his magic.
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto together have stacked up over 80 home runs combined so far. Needless to say, to safeguard the dynamics duo, the New York Yankees will go above and beyond to pursue Soto in 2025 free agency. However, MLB analysts believe a dark horse might steal away Soto from New York.
Will The Washington Nationals Bid For Juan Soto In 2025?
Juan Soto moved on from Washington Nations in 2022 in what was deemed a massive heartbreak for the generational star. Soto considered Nationals his home after having made his major league debut with the team back in 2018. However, a 15-year $440 million extension deal proved to not good enough, and hence, Soto landed in the Padres. But even Padres cut ties with him due to financial constraints, and now he is finally seeing the best version of himself as a Yankee. Hence, without a doubt, the New York Yankees are touted to be a front-runner in Soto’s high-stake 2025 free agency. However, Nations could be a dark horse if they play their cards at night.
Notably, Juan Soto is unlikely to settle for a penny less than $500 million. MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa believes Washington Nations manipulated Soto’s extension plea to set him free, only to pursue him again when they have already rebuilt the roster. “Nats trade him to San Diego and totally rebuild, not our farm system, our big league team,” DeRosa opined. Hence, now, Nationals’ President Mike Rizzo has enough funds to commit to a big signing, having rebuilt the team in these past two years. If so happens, the Yank could find themselves on the backfoot as Soto’s emotional connection with Nationals is profound. The Yankees would lose brownie points in the fight and could potentially lose a powerful slugger to a National League rival. Overall, the upcoming free agency will be eventful and historical as Soto is set to become the most expensive player in MLB.
Aaron Judge Likely To Give Green Light To Juan Soto’s Pursuit
Meanwhile, when the New York Yankees asserted their intentions of signing Juan Soto for a record extension deal, concerns about Aaron Judge’s ego being hurt surfaced as Soto could end up being a costly player compared to Judge, who is the face of the franchise. However, MLB insider Jon Heyman believes that Judge does not care about the money.
“Judge also doesn’t care much about money and gets the importance of Soto for the team,” Heyman said. Notably, money was never a concern for Aaron Judge during his own free agency as well in 2022. All he wanted was a longer contract, and Hal Steinbrenner was more than happy to give into it. Also, Judge is immensely secure as a player and as a captain.
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