The New York Yankees’ year ended Wednesday night with a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series. While the Dodgers moved on to celebrating and planning a victory parade, the Yankees had to shift their focus to the future. That means, among other things, that star outfielder Juan Soto accepts the possibility of leaving the team this winter. free agent.
Soto, who turned 26 last week, market opens on monday. To date, the only player in Major League Baseball history to have as many wins as Soto and to become a free agent in his mid-20s is former Yankees infielder Alex Rodriguez. Coincidentally, both Soto and Rodriguez are/were represented by super agent Scott Boras.
As expected, Soto’s impending free agency became a hot topic after Wednesday’s Game 5.
Asked about the possibility of Game 5 being his last appearance in pinstripes, Soto said, “You never know. At the end of the day, we’ll know where we are.” “It was definitely a tough game to be my last game, but I’m really happy with what we accomplished as a team and how far we got.”
Rumor has it that he wants to stay in New York, a preference that would suggest he would sign with the Yankees or Mets if that’s true, but Soto has kept a low profile.
“I’m really happy for the city, I’m really happy for the team, I’m really happy with how they’re doing,” Soto said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to look at all the circumstances, all the offers that we receive and make a decision from there.”
He said every team has “the same chance.”
Soto’s bid is expected to exceed $500 million, possibly in the $600 million range.