Thursday afternoon, the New York Yankees begin the Juan Soto era in a place that has haunted them, but also the place where Soto had the greatest moment of his career: Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros eliminated the Yankees in the 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 postseasons while Soto led the Washington Nationals to a win in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series in Houston.
"I can't wait to watch him go out and tear up the Bronx," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday (via SNY).
There is never a bad time to trade for Juan Soto, but for the Yankees, this offseason's seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres felt imperative. The Yankees went 82-80 in 2023, their worst record in three decades, and they had one of the worst offenses in the sport. They've also sorely lacked quality left-handed hitters in recent years. Soto brings needed lineup balance, and he'll hit in the No. 2 hole, in front of Aaron Judge on Thursday:
Our #OpeningDay lineup in Houston. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/vmK5ANLlm9
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 28, 2024
Still only 25, Soto is coming off a .275/.410/.519 line with a career high 35 home runs in 2023 despite a relatively slow start to the season. The Padres finished the year with the same 82-80 record as the Yankees, which was a massive disappointment, and clubhouse tension has been speculated as a cause of San Diego's down year. Boone, however, says Soto is fitting in well with his new team.
"Look, anytime you're a player coming over to a team for the first time, I'm sure you're toeing the water a little bit, getting a feel for everything," Boone said (via ESPN). "I do feel like the team from a bonding standpoint has come together really well this spring in short order. I would include Juan in that. He seems very comfortable, he seems happy. I think our leaders do a great job of making guys feel at home. From a leadership and what kind of vocal role he takes, that probably still remains to be seen."
Truth be told, Soto had an uneven spring, or at least as uneven as a .304/.373/.630 batting line can be. He went 9 for 18 with four home runs in his first seven games, then 5 for 28 (.179) the rest of the way. That was enough for Soto to skip the team's two-game exhibition series in Mexico City earlier this week, and instead stay back in spring training to work on his swing.
"Didn't get a ton of results here the last couple weeks, which I often think with a hitter of his caliber isn't such a bad thing from a timing standpoint," Boone said (via SNY). "Every hitter goes through little lulls at different points in the season. The great ones, those things are usually a little bit shorter. So hoping he got that a little bit out of the way here these last couple weeks."
The Padres traded Soto for financial reasons as much as baseball reasons. The club had to reduce payroll in part to get back into compliance with MLB's debt-service rules, and they also needed to replenish pitching depth. Trading Soto and his projected $31 million salary for four pitchers, three of whom are MLB-ready, allowed the Padres to cut payroll and add pitching in one move.
San Diego had to reduce payroll and add pitching, and the Yankees had pitching to spare and badly needed an infusion of energy. The fan base was restless (still is, really) and trading for Soto was as much a declaration that hey, we're still the Yankees, as it was adding an impact bat. In a slow offseason, the trade came together fairly quickly, and was completed on Dec. 7.
Both the Yankees and Soto have a lot at stake in 2023. For Soto, it's his contract year, and he and agent Scott Boras are surely eyeing a $500 million contract. Players this good and this young rarely hit the open market, and when they do, they break contract records. With all due respect, this is not a Cody Bellinger situation. Bellinger had red flags entering free agency. Soto doesn't.
One way or another, Soto will get paid. Worst-case scenario is he has a down year, takes a high-priced one-year contract, and tries free agency again at age 27. For the Yankees though, their championship window is closing. Gerrit Cole turned 33 in September and is now hurt. Judge turns 32 in a few weeks. They only have so many more bite at the apple with those two in their prime.
Soto will test free agency and the Yankees knew an extension was unlikely before making the trade -- "Odds are this a one-year situation," GM Brian Cashman said last month -- but they went through with it anyway, because they needed offense and star power. Thursday is Game 1 of what the Yankees hope is a long-term marriage. Regardless, they needed Soto in 2024.
"When he steps on the field, what he can bring to a team, just the excitement, the thrill, the energy, it's special," Judge said about Soto earlier this week.
