‘His main thing, the priority, is winning’: Only Juan Soto can decide if his future is with the Yankees
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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
LESS THAN A year ago, the New York Yankees acquired Juan Soto, with outfielder Trent Grisham, from the San Diego Padres for five players headlined by right-hander Michael King. It was a hefty haul for one guaranteed season that became a bargain.
Soto belted a career-high 41 home runs while dealing with nagging hand and forearm injuries. He finished second in the majors behind teammate Aaron Judge in on-base percentage. He ranked third in OPS, third in wRC+, fourth in slugging percentage and fourth in fWAR. He and Judge were baseball’s most productive duo since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the Yankees won 94 games, the American League East title and the AL pennant for the first time in 15 years. It was a platform year players dream about.
Along the way, Soto voiced his desire to become part of the team’s history while becoming a treasured figure in the Bronx. He embraced the roll calls in right field with air hugs. He punctuated his production with theatrics. He shuffled in the batter’s box. He stared pitchers down. He shook his head and nodded and smiled. His flamboyant relentlessness made every at-bat must-watch television. He did not yield a pitch, never mind a plate appearance. His inaugural year as a Yankee was unforgettable.
Now, though, it all might be over. The Yankees’ exclusive five-day window to negotiate and sign Soto ends Monday. Up next is a bidding war that could ascend well beyond $500 million. Surpassing Shohei Ohtani‘s heavily deferred $700 million deal in present-day value is possible.
Soto has repeatedly said he loved his time in New York. After the Yankees clinched the pennant in Cleveland, Soto’s father, also named Juan José Soto, raved in Spanish about his son’s experience as a Yankee.
“Spectacular. Spectacular,” Soto said during the Yankees’ on-field celebration. “The Yankees are the home of baseball. It’s the brand of baseball. And there isn’t anything like playing for the Yankees.”
Now, the younger Soto must decide whether he is going to play for them again.
FIVE NIGHTS AGO, Juan Soto, the son, sat atop the bench in the home team’s dugout at Yankee Stadium, dejected, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their World Series title as his teammates and coaches gathered their belongings. He was still wearing his batting helmet. His bat was still in his hands.
After staring at the mosh pit in the middle of the diamond, he stood up, walked to one end, climbed a step toward the field, bowed his head, said a prayer, glanced to the heavens and touched his chest, then vanished into the clubhouse.
The Yankees’ season, an 8½-month odyssey, was over. Soto’s career in pinstripes might have ended with it.
An hour later, Soto, who became a free agent the next day, was bombarded with questions about his future. The 26-year-old right fielder did not indicate a preference to stay in the Bronx.
Did you think about that possibly being your last game as a Yankee? (You never know.) Do you want to return if the money is right? (I’m going to weigh my options.) Do the Yankees have an advantage in re-signing you because this year went so well? (Every team will have the same opportunity.) Does geography matter? (I don’t think so.) Do you expect the Mets to come after you? (I don’t know, but I’m open to all 30 teams.)
“Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard, and definitely this place was really special,” Soto said that night. “It’s been a blast for me. I’ve been really happy. If I’m here or not, I’ve been really happy for the teammates that I have and the people that I get to know. This was a really special group, but at the end of the day, we will see what’s going to happen.”
The next morning, Scott Boras, Soto’s agent, told ESPN his superstar client’s priority is playing for a winner. That, according to Boras, means “a commitment by ownership to be competitive” and “a system that provides great players and great pitching.”
“Juan loves winning and winning organizations and a winning owner,” Boras said. “The geography part of it is that Juan and his loved ones are going to be comfortable. That’s what’s most important to him. And major league geography … Juan’s played on both: West Coast and East Coast. His main thing, the priority, is winning.”
The Yankees face stiff competition for Soto’s services. The New York Mets, boosted by billionaire owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, want him. The Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies figure to have interest. The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants seek a franchise linchpin. The Washington Nationals, the organization that signed and developed Soto out of the Dominican Republic, would welcome a reunion.
“This is going to stay in my heart for the rest of my life,” Soto said after the World Series finale. “I don’t know how it’s going to be next year.”
THE REASON THE Yankees chose to mortgage some of their future for just one guaranteed season of Soto was never more clear than on Oct. 19, in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, with the AL pennant on the line.
It wasn’t just Soto’s go-ahead, three-run home run off Cleveland Guardians right-hander Hunter Gaddis, one of baseball’s top relievers in 2024. It was the meticulous chess game to reach that swing. Soto fouled off four straight off-speed pitches, two sliders and two changeups before seeing a fastball and attacking. It was Soto at his finest.
“What impresses me the most is how young he is and how locked in he is every single day, ready to work,” Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes said. “I can’t imagine myself being 25 years old and doing what he does, and being so responsible and creating a lot of sacrifice. Because being 25 in New York, and the success he had, it’s tough to keep it level-headed every single day.”
This was Soto’s way all through the year. He homered in his spring training debut in Tampa. He fired the game-saving throw on Opening Day in Houston. He smashed the homer that sent the Yankees to the World Series, where he batted .313 with a 1.084 OPS.
“The one thing Juan has shown us all year is that flair for the dramatic,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “and knack for big situations.”
Yankees hitting coach Pat Roessler, who worked with Soto in Washington, marveled at the slugger’s work ethic. Soto, Roessler noted, has had the same routine since his days with the Nationals. He said Soto would work extra before or after games when he felt a tick off. He offered two reasons for Soto’s otherworldly hitting skill: an unreal ability to recognize pitches early and a compact swing he can repeat with extreme accuracy.
“I’ve never had a guy that could repeat his swing like that,” Roessler said.
That skill set made Soto a superstar by his 21st birthday and a World Series champion five days after that. It prompted the Nationals to offer him a 15-year, $440 million contract extension two years ago. When he declined, he was traded to San Diego. A year and a half later, Soto, a talent likened to Ted Williams, was traded again, to the Yankees — his third team in less than three years. It was a trade Boras insisted would not have happened if Padres owner Peter Seidler hadn’t died the previous month.
“Peter Seidler would have never traded Juan,” Boras said. “Economically, we were certainly very like in-kind thinking about who Juan Soto was and what his value was.”
The question now is whether Soto’s résumé will expand to a fourth club in less than four years.
“Anybody would be lucky to have him,” Cortes said. “I’m sure this organization is dying to have him back.”
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe said he wanted Soto to return “as bad as you can probably want something.”
Veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who has never been a free agent, didn’t have any advice for Soto, only a request with a smile: “Just stay with us.”
All indications are that Soto is open to staying — and just as open to leaving. He has waited for this moment for years, ready to be finished with bouncing back and forth from coast to coast — ready for a permanent home. Now it is time to reap the benefits of his success and test the market.
His season in the Bronx might have been spectacular. There might not be anything like playing for the Yankees. That doesn’t mean he will do it again.
Following a busy, 10-game Tuesday night in the NHL, it’s a relatively quiet five-game evening on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, there are playoff and draft lottery ramifications aplenty, so let’s hit all five matchups rapid fire:
Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning
7 p.m. (ESPN+)
While the Leafs appear destined for a top two spot in the Atlantic, they can still be caught by the Lightning for the No. 1 seed. If the Lightning are going to do it, a game like this is a prime opportunity to make up ground with a regulation win.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers
7:30 p.m. (TNT)
The Rangers lost their two most recent games by a combined score of 9-1, and their playoff hopes are dwindling quickly. A win over the Flyers would be a good step in potentially climbing back into the playoffs. Philly is fourth in the draft lottery order heading into this matchup — and bear in mind they also own the first-round picks of the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers.
San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild
8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Speaking of occupying a great place in the draft lottery order, the Sharks are No. 1, and are four points clear of the Chicago Blackhawks for that spot. The Wild are holding on to the second Western wild-card spot, and enter the evening four points up on the Flames.
St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers
10 p.m. (TNT)
The Blues’ 12-game winning streak came to a halt on Monday at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and they’ll be looking to start another one here against the Oilers. St. Louis is in the first wild-card position, two points ahead of the Wild. The Oilers appear to be a lock for the No. 3 spot in the Pacific, bringing on a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth straight postseason.
Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks
10 p.m. (ESPN+)
Calgary’s chances to jump into wild-card position have faded recently, so getting two points out of this game is crucial. As noted above, they are four points back of the Wild for that final spot. The Ducks enter the contest in the No. 8 spot in the lottery order, right in a jumble of teams between 73 and 76 points, so they can move up pretty easily based on their performance in the final five games.
With the regular season ending April 17, we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota Wild
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis Blues
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Wednesday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m. (TNT)
Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.
Tuesday’s scoreboard
Buffalo Sabres 3, Carolina Hurricanes 0
Montreal Canadiens 4, Detroit Red Wings 1
Florida Panthers 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Boston Bruins 7, New Jersey Devils 2
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Ottawa Senators 2
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Chicago Blackhawks 0
Nashville Predators 7, New York Islanders 6 (OT)
Vancouver Canucks 6, Dallas Stars 5 (OT)
Utah Hockey Club 7, Seattle Kraken 1
Colorado Avalanche 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2 (SO)
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 104.4
Next game: @ TB (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: vs. TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 98.8
Next game: vs. DET (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 94.6
Next game: vs. MTL (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 91.5
Next game: @ OTT (Friday)
Playoff chances: 89.2%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: @ FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 5.5%
Tragic number: 2
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: E
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 3
Points pace: 75.8
Next game: vs. CHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Metro Division
Points: 107
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 114.0
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 93.6
Next game: vs. PIT (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. PHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 1.9%
Tragic number: 3
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 3%
Tragic number: 2
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. BUF (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.5%
Tragic number: 2
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 3
Points pace: 78.9
Next game: @ NJ (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 75.6
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Central Division
Points: 110
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 115.6
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 106
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 111.4
Next game: vs. WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 100
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 3
Points pace: 103.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 3
Points pace: 96.5
Next game: @ EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 97.3%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: vs. SJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 92.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 88.3
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 1
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 67.3
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 56.8
Next game: @ BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 43
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 108.3
Next game: vs. SEA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 97
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 103.3
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 99.0
Next game: vs. STL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 92.7
Next game: @ ANA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 10.9%
Tragic number: 6
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 89.4
Next game: @ COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 2
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: vs. CGY (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 3
Points pace: 76.8
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 53.3
Next game: @ MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: A “y” means that the team has clinched the division title. An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 28
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 28
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 27
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 28
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