The New York Yankees will make the re-signing of slugger Juan Soto their main focus this offseason, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
“The Yankees will make Soto their “top priority,” according to sources,” Heyman wrote on April 18. “No surprise since they loved him in winter and likely love him even more now that he has transformed their lineup.
“The Yankees, in fact, seem primed to make a record offer if you count Shohei Ohtani’s $700M deal as $462M based on deferrals/net present value,” Heyman added.
Soto’s insane production so far this season makes it clear why the Yankees want to keep him.
His .478 on-base percentage is leading the American League. The Yankees are also averaging nearly 0.6 more runs per game with Soto on their roster this season.
So regardless of whether the Yankees keep their solid start to the season going, Soto is clearly a central part of their future plans.
Soto Has Endeared Himself to New York Fans
It hasn’t taken Soto long to become a Yankees fan favorite.
Soto went viral on April 8 for going out of his way to sign a kid’s ball, seconds before first pitch.
Soto then went 2 for 3 during the game with a home run, a double, a walk, and 3 RBIs. The home run was Soto’s first in the Bronx as a Yankee. The Yankees also won the game 7-0.
After the game, Soto told the New York Post what he was thinking when signing the ball.
“I saw the clock, so I was hesitating because the game was supposed to start at 6:08. So I had two minutes [to sign] and I turned around and Nestor was almost moving [on the mound]. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
Soto then went on to say of Yankees fans, “When they’re giving you a lot of love, you have to give love back.”
It isn’t hard to see why Soto has become so beloved during his brief New York tenure.
Three New York Newcomers Have Brought the ‘Dawgs’ Out
Yankees players have begun barking during games.
These barks started when Alex Verdugo hit a home run against the Miami Marlins on April 9, and celebrated the blast by barking at his teammates in the dugout.
“Hey, man, who doesn’t like to bark, right?” Verdugo said after the game while wearing a “Bronx Dawgs” T-shirt.
This barking trend represents the Yankees clubhouse attitude this season.
“Three newcomers — Verdugo, Juan Soto, and Marcus Stroman — have been central energy givers, each with their own verve and swagger,” ESPN’s Jorge Castillo wrote on April 18. “Verdugo barks and pumps his chest. Soto shuffles and ruffles pitchers. Stroman, once every five days, likes to solicit noise from the crowd when he’s throwing up zeroes.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone added, “[They] have brought an energy that, you know, on certain days is a little shot in the arm.”
The Yankees are now favorites to win the ever-competitive AL East division. Even if they don’t end up doing so, they’d still be wise to re-sign Soto.
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