Yankees star Juan Soto knows he will soon need to decide about his future, but he wants to delay that decision as long as he can.
The four-time All-Star is set to be the top free agent this offseason, with a possible contract worth up to $500 million. However, Soto mentioned before the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Royals in Game 3 of the AL Division Series that he is letting his agent, Scott Boras, handle his contract situation.
“At the end of the day, I just try to focus on the game,” said Soto, who contributed with a sacrifice fly, two walks, and a run scored.
“Like you said, I love this game, and I’ve been playing this game since I was a kid. I’m here more about the game — trying to win, trying to find a way to win — and trying to help the team.”
Soto’s performance this season has only boosted his value. He hit .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs, leading the league with 128 runs scored. His efforts were key in helping the Yankees secure the AL East title.
Earlier in the season, Soto expressed that he might be open to discussing a contract with the Yankees during the season. Now, those talks will likely have to wait until after the playoffs are over, depending on the outcome of the ALDS.
“The whole free agent talks and everything, I just leave that to my agent, let him handle it, and I just come every day to play baseball and to enjoy the game I love,” said Soto, who won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019.
“That really makes it really easy for me,” Soto added. “I just play baseball. That’s all I do.”
Soto previously turned down a $440 million, 15-year deal to stay with the Nationals and was traded to the Padres in August 2022. The Padres made it to the National League Championship Series that fall but missed the playoffs last year, despite having one of the highest payrolls in baseball.
The Padres are back in the playoffs this year, facing the Dodgers in the NL Division Series. However, they are doing this without Juan Soto, who is now with the Yankees after being the key player in a seven-player trade last December.
“When you put that jersey on and those pinstripes, it just feels different. Like you say, there’s so much history and everything, so many fans all over the world that we have, it’s just incredible,” Soto said.
“Everywhere you go, the fans are there waiting for you, cheering for you, wishing you the best, and you feel that. You feel that in every aspect.”
This strong connection with the fans is one reason Soto could return to the Yankees next season, along with team budgets.
His teammate, Aaron Judge, set a record in 2022 by signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees. Then Shohei Ohtani broke that record by signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
Soto might not reach those huge numbers, but he doesn’t seem to be stressing about it.
“No, no, I always keep that to my agent,” he said. “Even in my house and everything, we never even talk about that. We keep it simple — just come here, enjoy the moment, enjoy where we’re at, and we’ll see what happens.”
