ESPN: Juan Soto formally rejects the qualifying offer from the Yankees.
The superstar shockingly refused to play on a one-year contract. Baseball protocols, eh?
For example, I am aware that we were all fervently hoping that Juan Soto would say, “You know what? It is not worth the hassle of free agency. I believe I would like to push myself by playing for just one season and even less than I did this past season! It will be athletic!
That didn’t work out. According to Jon Heyman, Soto has formally turned down the Yankees’ qualifying offer. Although the QO established by Major League Baseball this year was $21.05 million, it was clearly never going to be enough for Soto, who will receive a long-term contract worth at least 25 times that amount (which is underselling him). For example, it was persuasive for Reds starter Nick Martinez. It should be noted that Soto was the only Yankees player to receive a QO; Gleyber Torres and the other players were not given one by the team.
All of this is standard practice in MLB throughout the offseason. If he signs elsewhere, the Yankees will be eligible for selection compensation in the 2025 MLB Draft because they made the quarterback and had it declined. However, considering the Yankees’ position in relation to luxury tax thresholds, that probably won’t happen until after the fourth round. They are still very much in the running to sign him. Hopefully, the Yankees can follow their big offseason plan and bring Soto back in return for Brink’s truck in whatever size he wants.
