KANSAS CITY.- Juan Soto knows that the moment is quickly approaching when he will have to make a decision about his future. The Dominican slugger of the New York Yankees He’s trying to put it off as long as he can.
A four-time All-Star, Soto is on track to become the top free agent on the market next season, with a contract that could potentially top $500 million. But he said before the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series that he is leaving that issue in the hands of his agent Scott Boras.
“At the end of the day, I just try to focus on the game,” said Soto, who hit a sacrifice fly, walked twice and scored a run. “As you said, I love this sport and I have played it since I was a child. “I’m here more for the sport, I try to win, to find a way to win and I try to help the team.”
Soto only grew stronger in the market this year. He batted .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs, in addition to leading the league with 128 runs scored. And it was one of the main reasons why the Yankees beat the Orioles in the race for the AL East Division title.
At some point at the beginning of the year, the Dominican said he was open to negotiating a contract with the Yankees during the season. Now, those discussions will have to happen once it’s all over, maybe this week.
“Everything related to the negotiations and I simply leave that in the hands of my agent, I let him take care of it and I come every day to play baseball and enjoy the sport that I love,” said Soto, who already has a Series ring. World Cup after helping the Nationals win the 2019 title in a dramatic seven-game series with Houston.
“That really makes it very easy for me,” Soto said. “I just play baseball. That’s all I do.”
Value through the roof
Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to become the long-term cornerstone of the Nationals, who traded him to the Padres in an eight-player deal in August 2022. They reached the ALCS. National League in the fall, but struggled last year, missing the playoffs despite having the third-highest payroll in the majors.
This year, the Padres returned to the playoffs and face the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. But they do it while Soto plays for the Yankees, having been the centerpiece of a seven-player trade in December.
