ESPN: MLB Sensational Could Sign $701 Million Contract With Yankees To Become The Highest MLB Paid Player Ahead Of Shohei Ohtani.
This week’s ALCS advancement by the New York Yankees promises an intriguing matchup between the club’s potent offense and the unmatched bullpen of the Cleveland Guardians. The Yankees are the presumptive favorites because of the star power of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge together in the middle of the lineup.
Everything has gone about as well as anyone could have hoped for Soto’s arrival in New York. With 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 576 at-bats, he slashed.288/.419/.569 in what was maybe his finest season to date. With four more victories, he will have the opportunity to seal his future legacy and qualify for the World Series.
It is anticipated that Soto would place third in the voting for American League MVP, behind only Judge, his own teammate, and Bobby Witt Jr. That makes way for what is sure to be the most exciting and anticipated free agent cycle since, well, the winter of last year, when Shohei Ohtani was available.
With renowned hardball negotiator Scott Boras at his side, Soto is sure to win in a free market. The Yankees clearly want him back, but he may fetch an absurd amount due to multiple reported suitors.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies will also throw their hats in the ring, but the New York Mets are thought to be the biggest threat. Furthermore, someone needs to inform the Los Angeles Dodgers that Soto won’t be available this winter, just in case. Please excuse me.
Soto’s new contract is extraordinary in and of itself; most conjecture has put it in the $600 million level. Eli Ben-Porat of Baseball America, however, has made a new forecast that puts Soto’s value even higher than Ohtani’s record-breaking $700 million contract from last winter.
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Juan Soto might sign $701 million contract with Yankees
“Before the season, I predicted that Soto will sign with the Yankees for 15 years, $701 million dollars,” said Ben-Porat. “I believe the Yankees have very little chance of letting him walk, and that’s about what he’ll receive in free agency. There aren’t many baseball players you can count on to have a six-win floor for the next three seasons, so any team hoping to win the World Series will want to sign him.”
Furthermore, he thinks that having nearly allowing Judge to elude them a few years ago, New York will do all within its power to guarantee Soto’s return. The optics of the Judge-Giants connection weren’t favorable for the Yankees and there’s no incentive to get cute with Soto negotiations. The Yankees should pay the ridiculous amount of money he demands, or else another team might sign the best young player in baseball.
