The New York Yankees made a strong push to re-sign Juan Soto, but ultimately failed, as Soto instead signed a 16-year, $765 million contract with their rivals, the New York Mets.
At the Mets, Soto will join forces with Francisco Lindor and possibly Pete Alonso (if he remains in Queens), with hopes of securing the team’s first World Series title since the 1980s.
While the Yankees were involved in the Soto discussions until the very end, they were ultimately unable to match the Mets’ final offer, which, with incentives, could reach over $800 million over the life of the contract.
In response, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and his team decided to allocate some of that money to other players, aiming to replace Soto by committee while also addressing key needs. The primary acquisitions include Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt’s addition, however, has sparked some controversy among Yankees fans. The 37-year-old first baseman is coming off a subpar season by his standards in 2024.
“This is probably the worst I’ve performed on the field in my career,” Goldschmidt admitted at the end of the Cardinals’ season.
“That was disappointing, a good bit of that burden was on me. If I could’ve played how I believe I’m capable of playing, we could’ve won more games and maybe this might have turned out differently.”
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Despite Goldschmidt’s recent struggles, the Yankees are still offering him a $12 million contract, potentially positioning him as their cleanup hitter — at least for now. This may change as the team makes additional moves following the holidays.
Reports indicate that Goldschmidt chose to sign with the Yankees for less money, a decision that underscores the significance of being part of the storied franchise.
For Soto, however, money was the primary motivator. As he’s at the peak of his value, his agent, Scott Boras, secured the most lucrative deal possible.
No one can fault Soto for that decision. What remains to be seen is whether Soto believes in the Mets’ long-term success plan. If not, the difference between $750 million and $765 million might end up being the key factor in Soto’s pursuit of a World Series title.
