The Tuesday Discussion: Juan Soto?

November 12, 2024

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This week we asked our writers the following:

Should the Yankees re-sign Juan Soto or should they spend that money addressing other important issues with the roster?  (Or, can they do both?)

Here are their replies:

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Paul Semendinger - I believe the Yankees have the financial wherewithal to do whatever they wish. I also think they are a "win-now" team because Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole are not getting younger and we already might be seeing the beginning of Cole's decline phase. It's conceivable that the Yankees will have low (or lower) budget players at Catcher (Wells), Second Base (Peraza/Durbin/Cabrera), Third Base (Chisholm), and Left Field (Dominguez). They should be able to sign Soto and also get a big time starter (Burnes). If the Yankees true desire is to win the World Series, they should not put limits on themselves in addressing the needs of the team. Soto's production is not replaceable in the short term. He is essential if the Yankees wish to be a true contender in 2025.

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Lincoln Mitchell - The Yankees either have to do both or accept that the core they have is not good enough to win a World Series. Accepting that reality would mean making an effort to to rebuild. If they were planning to do that, they would have not brought back Cole. If the Yankees want to return to the playoffs next year the probably need to resign Soto and add one or two more impact players. I don’t think they will do that, so the grift goes on.

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Tim Kabel - The Yankees absolutely need to re-sign Juan Soto. He fit this team perfectly and is a generational player. They need to build off of what they have with him on the team. If they don’t have him, they would have to fill in the enormous gap that would be created by his absence  before they could improve. The Yankees can sign Soto and then add the pieces where they need. They can also build from within with younger, less expensive players. 

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Tamar Chalker - Give Soto whatever it takes to sign him.

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Cary Greene - The Yankees should sign Soto only if he's willing to do a deferred contract. The team needs help in the rotation, the bullpen and in the infield. With a perceived payroll limit of $291 million next season, if Soto isn't willing to defer a portion of his deal, the Yankees wouldn't have the payroll space left over to improve the team this offseason.

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Mike Whiteman - The Yankees can and should re-sign Juan Soto and improve the roster at other positions. Soto is as safe a bet as you can get in the free agent market, so the Yanks should immediately make him a substantial offer. The offer should put the Yankees in the driver's seat and tempt Soto to accept right away, not something that's intended to have the Yankees just a dollar more than the second best offer. Go big right now! 

My second priority would be first base. I really like a short term deal with Christian Walker, whose right handed bat can balance out the lineup and whose Gold Glove can make the whole infield better. 

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Ed Botti - The Yankees, rightfully so, should attempt to re-sign Juan Soto. That was never in question. The question I have had since last December’s trade is will he be realistic and reasonable in his contract demands?  Unfortunately, history shows that he was not in the past, and that is why two teams traded him in the last 3 years.

This team has multiple holes heading into 2025 (both corner infielders, 2nd base, left field, and even center field, as I do not think it is wise and most effective defensively to play Aaron Judge much longer in center field (he is approaching his age 33 season on April 26, and by the way, is one of the best right fielders in the league with a rifle arm), they also need bullpen arms and even a starter in 2025.

That is quite a grocery list.

Can they do both? Of course they can. Will they is another question. Personally, I doubt it.

If the preposterous rumors are correct about Soto and Boros’ contract demands, I am inclined to let him walk, and build my team to defend the AL Title and go for it all in 2025 without him. None of us really knows yet what he wants to be paid, we are only hearing rumors. So, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. But, I do not advise the Yankees to break the bank on a lifetime contract for any 1 player. You need 26 and the financial flexibility to get reinforcements when the need arises, if your goal is to win it all.

It will all come down to how much Soto wants for himself, and what he will leave for his team to surround him with quality, winning players.

So yes, they should try to re-sign Juan Soto, but be prepared to walk away and get other impactful players if his demands are outrageous.

We will find out very soon.

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Andy Singer - This is not an either/or situation, and as Yankee fans, it's important that we don't allow ownership to gaslight into believing that Soto's contract will necessarily restrict the front office's ability to complete other work. The Yankees just received a boatload of additional revenue which easily pays for any uptick in player salaries for the next year or two while the Yankees work to shed some aging contracts.

Soto is a generational hitter and fits this team as perfectly as he could. Yes, Soto is a below-average defender, but his defensive value plays up to average in the smaller confines of Yankee Stadium's right field. In essence, there is no place where Soto would be a more valuable player. This is a marriage that makes sense on every level for both sides. If the money is roughly equivalent, signing with the Yankees makes sense for Soto.

Regardless of what Soto's AAV looks like, there will be room for more, and there are rumors out there that there are potential opportunities for the Yankees to shed some long-term salary this winter in exchange for some short-term salary addition. There are a multitude of ways the Yankees can both offset Soto's salary and afford to build around the rest of the team.