Washington DC- For now, Juan Soto is a NY Yankee and doing his part in the walk year of his contract. Though, teams with the ability to offer what will be the richest contract in baseball will wait to make their pitch,
Soto is 3 for his last 20 and 7 for his last 47 (.149). His homecoming at Nationals Park did not go well. The former National who helped them win a World Series title in 2019 went 0-for-12 in three games as the Yankees dropped the rubber game Wednesday evening.
The emphasis this week was on Soto and his return to Washington and the free agency bidding process. New York with the Yankees and Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen stand a chance to sign a player who would record the highest contact in baseball. The Nationals are reportedly also going to be in the Soto sweepstakes.
But the prevailing view is Soto loves wearing Yankees pinstripes and hitting behind Aaron Judge in the lineup, a duo that makes it difficult for teams to contain and keep them off the bases.
Soto declined a 15-year, $440 million contract extension with Washington. The Nationals would trade their young superstar to the Padres. This past off season, the Yankees acquired Soto who comes with few disappointments. He has reached base safely in 114 of his 128 games, with 37 home runs and 95 RBI prior to this series.
And if it were not for Judge, perhaps Soto would be the Yankees and AL MVP.
Three-and-a-half seasons with the Nationals (2018-2022), Soto is always remembered here in a city that focuses on politics and policies. He was the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up to Ronald Acuna Jr. The four-time All-Star, Slugger winner, NL Batting champion in 2020, there is no denying that Soto deserves the accolades and a worthy contract.
A scout who was involved with the signing of Soto back in 2018 said to me at the time, “Soto is going to be a superstar for a long time. All the tools and going to make a lot of money.”
The financial award will be a question of how much is Soto worth? And that won’t come until the final pitch of the 2024 postseason. A Yankees World Series trophy is what Soto is vying for.
Be sure, though, no matter where the Yankees finish in their pursuit of their first World Series title since 2009, the Nationals could be a player in the Soto sweepstakes with $25 million coming off the books with the contract of pitcher Patrick Corbin
This was not billed as a crucial series for the Yankees, but the Nationals are young and hungry, not fighting for the postseason. The Yankees down the stretch are in a battle with the Orioles for first place in the AL East.
And down here the Nationals had a homecoming for Soto, talking in his free agent walk year about a potential reunion and vying for a return with a record breaking contract. The Nationals will have plenty of money off the books with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball and could be players for his return.
“Right now I’m playing for the Yankees,” Soto said time and time again this week when asked about a possible return to the Nationals. “I’m happy where I’m at, and we’ll see what happens in free agency.”
Yes, Soto has that focus of winning ball games for the Yankees. During the past three nights at his former ballpark, he heard the cheers of Nationals fans and noticed the “Soto” Yankees jerseys that surrounded all areas of the ballpark.
Baseball, though, is big business. Soto will get the offers and the Yankees will make the pitch. So will the Mets and Nationals. It’s a matter of where Soto wants to land and he isn’t commenting, nor is he expected to.
The Yankees need Soto as much as they need Judge, evidenced again during this three game series when both were kept from scoring or hitting the long ball. The Nationals looked more like the contending team in this three-game series.
“We’ve got to keep creating as many opportunities as possible,” said manager Aaron Boone. “But we didn’t do enough the last two nights pushing runs across”
Soto wasn’t the sole reason the Yankees failed to score runs. Neither was Judge. But it is obvious that Carlos Rodon and the Yankees pitching caused the lineup to once again come from behind. But when Soto goes hitless in three games you wonder if the pressure of a homecoming got to him?
Regardless, the Yankees know what Soto is worth. They will be heavy in the sweepstakes to assure he returns to the Bronx. The Nationals could stand a chance, but it is in the hands of their former prospect and All-Star.
As one writer on the Nationals beat informed me, “This has always been a Juan Soto town and ballpark.” But for now, it’s the Yankees pinstripes that Soto is comfortable with. He is home in the Bronx and we await the offseason bidding and contract that could be historic.
Rich Mancuso: X (Twitter @Ring786) Facebook.com Rich Mancuso