About the Off-Season: Investigating the Facts

About the Off-Season: Investigating the Facts

By Tim Kabel

November 21, 2024

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I worked for the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families for over thirty years. During that time, I conducted a lot of investigations and I also trained new employees on how to do the job. That included teaching them how to look at facts carefully and to consider things from all angles. Sometimes things are not what they seem. For example, I once received a call from a school regarding a little boy who was in preschool. He had a red mark on his cheek. His teacher sent him to the office, and they called us. When the little boy was asked how he got the red mark on his cheek, he said, “Mommy did it”.  The school began preparing the oil in which to boil the mother. I took a closer look. It was a cold day. It was winter. I had the nurse examine the red mark. It did not appear to be caused by being struck in any way. English was not the little boy's first language. In fact, at his age, he did not have a lot of language skills. The nurse indicated that the mark was consistent with windburn. When the mother came in, she was distraught, and she and her son embraced each other warmly. She showed me the ointment she was using on his face for the windburn. When the little boy said, “Mommy did it,” he was referring to her putting the ointment on his cheek. I canceled the oil boiling session.

The point is that things may not always be the way they appear on the surface. That applies to investigations of potential child abuse police investigations, news reports, or even sports reports.

Juan Soto met with a contingent from the New York Yankees on Monday. The meeting was lengthy and reportedly went very well. Hal Steinbrenner corroborated this assessment and said that it was a “very honest” meeting. Steinbrenner also said, “I've got ears, I know what's expected of me.” In addition, he stated, “we've got the ability to sign any player we want to sign.”

Those are all very encouraging statements. It seems quite likely the Yankees will have a second meeting, during which they will focus on a contract and make an offer. It was reported that Soto wanted assurances that Mr. Steinbrenner would make continued efforts to keep the Yankees competitive and that he would improve the roster. It seems that Soto not only wants to be paid well, but he also wants to be on a team that has the potential to win the World Series every year. It was reported that Soto discussed areas in which the Yankees need to improve the roster.

Having read all that, I believe it is quite possible that before Juan Soto is signed, the Yankees may make another move. It may very well be a major move. For example, I would not be surprised if the Yankees made a trade for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., or acquired another top-level player for first base. I would also not be surprised if they went in a different direction and signed or traded for a frontline starting pitcher. For example, they could sign Corbin Burnes. They could sign Jack Flaherty. They could sign Blake Snell. Or they could make a trade for a starter.

If the Yankees made a move like that, many people would interpret it as meaning that the Yankees were not committed to signing Juan Soto; that they had somehow decided they were out of the race and were pivoting to a Plan B. That's how it would look on the surface. There would be another way to view such a move. 

If the Yankees make a major move in the next week or so to acquire a frontline player, either a position player or a pitcher, it may not be that they are pivoting away from signing Juan Soto. It may be that they are leaning in to signing Juan Soto and that the other acquisition would be a part of that process. Acquiring a player such as Vladimir Guerrero or Corbin Burnes or someone of that caliber would be a way of strengthening the team, which is what Hal Steinbrenner apparently committed to doing in his meeting with Juan Soto. It would also be a sign of good faith in the negotiation with Soto. It would send him a message that the Yankees are serious about being a perennial contender and want him to be part of it. On top of that, it would strengthen the Yankees regardless of whether they signed Soto or not.

So, if the Yankees make a major move in the coming days, you are very likely to read or hear that it means that Soto will be signing with the Mets or the Dodgers or some other team and that the Yankees are out of it because they signed or traded for another star player and therefore, are not in negotiations for Soto any longer. I would caution against believing that if you read it or hear it. I would wait and see and investigate and monitor everything that happens.

Things are not always what they appear to be. A move to strengthen the team may not be the replacement for signing Juan Soto. It may be a strp in the process of signing Juan Soto.