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Post by JEGnj on May 16, 2024 23:31:12 GMT -5
Let me start by saying I love watching Soto play. The guy is a generational talent and I WANT him extended. He is going to the HOF in a Yankee cap.
Just for fun I want to compare the two.
Entering the walk year.
Judge was the face of the franchise. He was heir apparent to the Captaincy. If he left the team would have been decimated. Rizzo probably would've been gone. You don't know what Cole would do with his opt out. We would have no OF and Stanton would have been the face of the franchise.
Soto in the the walk year.
25 and could be one of the top players to ever play the game. We all want him to remain a Yankee for life but we know it will cost big time. It means we probably won't resign Dudo and Gleyber and probably not another big FA pitcher in the future but we have one of the best 1/2 combos ever to play the game in Soto and Judge. If he does leave the bright side in losing a HOF player born to wear Pinstripes is we can resign Dugo and also have Dominguez and Spencer Jones.
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Post by Max on May 17, 2024 12:48:55 GMT -5
Hal recently hinted that he may reach out and have contract talks with Soto's agent during the season.
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Post by themartian on May 17, 2024 14:18:41 GMT -5
Soto took a pretty good haul to trade for as well. So they are probably going to take advantage of having him here to try and woo him in to signing long term.
Hal should be taking him out for steak dinners with all the trimmings, and inviting him on to his yacht. Butter him up and then get out the pen.
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Post by fwclipper51 on May 17, 2024 16:33:15 GMT -5
Hal Steinbrenner Comments On Possible Juan Soto Extension
By Darragh McDonald | May 16, 2024 at 11:59pm CDT
Yankees Chairman Hal Steinbrenner appeared on the Yankees News & Views podcast today and host Jack Curry of the YES Network asked him about the possibility of extending superstar outfielder Juan Soto. The YES Network shared a video clip on X.
“I think we’d like to see him here for the rest of his career,” Steinbrenner said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt of that.” He goes on to say that Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, doesn’t normally do extensions midseason. Steinbrenner says he generally prefers to avoid talks during the season as well so that they don’t become a distraction, but that Soto is a special case.
That’s due to Soto’s obvious talents but also since he’s only been a Yankee for a few months, having been acquired from the Padres in December with just one season left to go before he’s slated to reach free agency. Steinbrenner said he wanted to give Soto some time to get to know the organization before getting into talks about long-term plans. “I wouldn’t be shocked if there was a conversation or two had, possibly during the course of the season.”
In the latter half of the clip shared above, Curry relays that he contacted Boras about what Steinbrenner said. Boras said he is always willing to talk to Steinbrenner but that Soto is focused on winning.
Soto himself was asked about the comments after this afternoon’s game and echoed what Boras said, with the YES Network sharing a clip on X of those as well. “My door is always open,” Soto said. “Whenever he wants to start talking with Scott and all his people, they’re always open. They’re always open to hear whatever he has. And for me, I just focus on the game right now.”
The topic of Soto’s future free agency, or an extension to prevent that free agency from happening, has been a topic of conversation for quite a long time. That’s on account of how he debuted at such an unusually young age and also due to him finding immediate success that he has maintained or improved. Soto debuted with the Nationals in 2018 when he was only 19 years old. He hit 22 home runs in 116 games while drawing walks in 16% his plate appearances. His .292/.406/.517 batting line translated to a 146 wRC+.
He’s never provided much in terms of speed or defense, but his combination of power and plate discipline is exceptional and has remained quite consistent. He currently has 169 home runs in his career and an 18.7% walk rate, while striking out just 16.9% of the time. He has slashed .286/.420/.525 overall and has a 155 wRC+, which includes a .310/.408/.530 line and 170 wRC+ as a Yankee this year.
Those skills and his age put him on course for a massive contract. Most free agents reach free agency for the first time in the vicinity of their 30th birthday but Soto is still just 25. He’ll turn 26 on October 25, just before he’s slated to hit the open market.
The fact that Steinbrenner is interested in an extension is somewhat notable since the club doesn’t do them very often. MLBTR’s Contract Tracker shows that they have done just three in the past decade, which were for Luis Severino, Aaron Hicks and Aroldis Chapman. Those deals didn’t go especially well for the most part and the club may not be thrilled at doing more extensions in general, but Soto is clearly in a different stratosphere than those players. That Steinbrenner is willing to make an exception here is unsurprising, but actually getting it done won’t be cheap.
Back in 2022, the Nationals reportedly offered Soto $440MM over 15 years. When he rejected that overture, they decided to trade him instead, which is how he came to be a Padre. While that may be a massive sum to leave on the table, he’s already earned himself a decent chunk of that. Since turning down that deal, he made $23MM last year and is making $31MM this year, his final two arbitration seasons. That means any contract higher than $386MM will prove that he made a wise financial decision in turning it down.
Last month, Boras revealed that the late Peter Seidler tried to get a deal done to keep Soto in San Diego. However, Seidler’s deteriorating health got in the way of the talks and he passed away in November. The next month, Soto was traded to the Yankees as the Padres’ financial situation forced them to make budget cuts.
Keeping Soto away from the open market is obviously going to be a challenge. Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman admitted as much in February. “The odds are this is a one-year situation,” he said. “I don’t see too many things stopping him from reaching free agency.”
There has been all kinds of speculation about what kind of number it would take to get Soto’s signature on a contract. The round number of $500MM is often thrown around as a speculative ballpark figure, but that’s really just a guess.
Since Soto is now just a few months away from the open market, there’s little incentive for him to accept anything except free agency prices. The largest contract in MLB history is Shohei Ohtani’s recent ten-year, $700MM pact with the Dodgers. The heavy deferrals on the deal make the net present value closer to the $435-465MM range, though that adjusted figure still makes it the largest ever, both in terms of total guarantee and average annual value.
Soto obviously doesn’t have the two-way abilities of Ohtani nor the same international marketing power, but Ohtani is now 29 and about to turn 30, meaning Soto will be marketing three to four extra prime years compared to Shohei. That youth is clearly valuable to teams, as was recently seen with the Yoshinobu Yamamoto free agency. Going into his age-25 season, he drew widespread interest despite having no major league experience. He eventually shattered expectations when he signed for $325MM over 12 years, plus a posting fee of over $50MM.
The Yankees have long been one of the biggest spenders in baseball, but they have a decent amount of money on the books already. Between Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Rodón, they have four players making $25MM or more through 2027 or longer. The Marlins are paying down a bit of Stanton’s deal but the Yankees already have almost $150MM committed to books three years down the line, per Roster Resource.
For a generational talent like Soto, they likely wouldn’t care much about adding another huge contract to the pile. Still, Boras might want to wait a few more months to see what teams like the Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Phillies or others have to offer. Getting them to the table would increase the chances of a bidding war driving up prices and the Yanks might have to put down a huge number to stop that from happening.
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Post by inger on May 17, 2024 17:28:20 GMT -5
I never worked for the kind of money that baseball players make, but I will proudly say that I chose my personal happiness over money more than once.
I turned down a job because it was in St. Louis. I left several of them because I didn’t care for the culture and I made damn sure to let them know it. I changed jobs or transferred for the geography.
In the position these guys are in, I’m always amazed that money seems to be the king in nearly every negotiation…
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Post by yankeesfaninboston on May 19, 2024 7:02:42 GMT -5
I never worked for the kind of money that baseball players make, but I will proudly say that I chose my personal happiness over money more than once. I turned down a job because it was in St. Louis. I left several of them because I didn’t care for the culture and I made damn sure to let them know it. I changed jobs or transferred for the geography. In the position these guys are in, I’m always amazed that money seems to be the king in nearly every negotiation… Not sure what you do for work, but my guess is that it wasn’t something as inherently fun and fulfilling as playing a sport you love. So your happiness with a job came probably from the culture, what the company produced, and who you worked with. Those things change from company to company. These guys play a sport they love regardless of which team it’s with. Also, the money difference here is just flat out more significant than what most of us face. Turning down $10M with maybe 30, 40, 50 years of investment return on it could be the difference in your great great great grandchildren set for life or just your great great grandchildren. |
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Post by inger on May 19, 2024 7:06:45 GMT -5
I never worked for the kind of money that baseball players make, but I will proudly say that I chose my personal happiness over money more than once. I turned down a job because it was in St. Louis. I left several of them because I didn’t care for the culture and I made damn sure to let them know it. I changed jobs or transferred for the geography. In the position these guys are in, I’m always amazed that money seems to be the king in nearly every negotiation… Not sure what you do for work, but my guess is that it wasn’t something as inherently fun and fulfilling as playing a sport you love. So your happiness with a job came probably from the culture, what the company produced, and who you worked with. Those things change from company to company. These guys play a sport they love regardless of which team it’s with. Also, the money difference here is just flat out more significant than what most of us face. Turning down $10M with maybe 30, 40, 50 years of investment return on it could be the difference in your great great great grandchildren set for life or just your great great grandchildren. It depends on what “set” means. I’m content with what I have… |
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Post by ill636 on May 19, 2024 7:59:59 GMT -5
Playing baseball is just that, playing baseball. The game is the same no matter where it is played. So what makes the difference? It is both the fan base and the money. The excitement a player gets from the fan base makes him feel great about himself. It is similar to working in a culture you love. The money is the guarantee for the future and a recognition to the player for his performance. Making a lot of money while playing for a poor organization will not be a long lasting motivation.
I listened to Soto talk about the Yankee fan base. NOT only at Yankee stadium, but at all the stadiums the Yankees play at. Soto says he can't believe how great they are to him and the team. Soto will make a lot of money, no matter where he plays. Why not play with a team where the fans, in all geographies, will make him feel great?
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Post by rizzuto on May 19, 2024 8:05:51 GMT -5
I never worked for the kind of money that baseball players make, but I will proudly say that I chose my personal happiness over money more than once. I turned down a job because it was in St. Louis. I left several of them because I didn’t care for the culture and I made damn sure to let them know it. I changed jobs or transferred for the geography. In the position these guys are in, I’m always amazed that money seems to be the king in nearly every negotiation… Not sure what you do for work, but my guess is that it wasn’t something as inherently fun and fulfilling as playing a sport you love. So your happiness with a job came probably from the culture, what the company produced, and who you worked with. Those things change from company to company. These guys play a sport they love regardless of which team it’s with. Also, the money difference here is just flat out more significant than what most of us face. Turning down $10M with maybe 30, 40, 50 years of investment return on it could be the difference in your great great great grandchildren set for life or just your great great grandchildren. Human nature finds unpleasantness and irritability in any environment given enough time. As Marcus Aurelius said, “Even in a palace, it is possible to live well.” Top shelf athletes want to win, which also brings monetary benefits and opportunities that losing does not. No amount of money can bring my wife back to life or fill the abyss her absence has left. Unlimited and unearned wealth fuels years of distractions, which usually leaves a legacy of debauchery, entitlement, self-loathing, and eventually - for those who are not narcissists or sociopaths - self-harm. There was no obstacle I could not overcome when Sarah was by my side, as my course correction always appeared obvious to me, as all things do when your heart is full, your soul content, and your guiding light bright and pure. Happiness is a foundation neither marketable nor for sale. As Voltaire wrote, “We must all tend our own gardens.” |
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Post by azbob643 on May 19, 2024 8:25:23 GMT -5
I listened to Soto talk about the Yankee fan base. NOT only at Yankee stadium, but at all the stadiums the Yankees play at. Soto says he can't believe how great they are to him and the team. Because he's living up to expectations & producing. As we've seen with other players, I think it's safe to say the fans would not be so "great" to him had he gotten off to a slow start. |
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Post by azbob643 on May 19, 2024 8:54:00 GMT -5
I never worked for the kind of money that baseball players make, but I will proudly say that I chose my personal happiness over money more than once. I turned down a job because it was in St. Louis. I left several of them because I didn’t care for the culture and I made damn sure to let them know it. I changed jobs or transferred for the geography. In the position these guys are in, I’m always amazed that money seems to be the king in nearly every negotiation… I don’t think money is necessarily the deciding factor for all, maybe even the majority, unless all other things are essentially equal. I think we sometimes forget that playing pro baseball is a job…a job that every player has worked for years to secure with no guarantees and may last for only a few years. So, with all things being equal, makes sense to choose to work for the employer who’s willing to pay the most. |
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