DONE DEAL: At the Zoom Yankees’ inaugural news conference, the recently signed superstar outfielder exclaimed about

admin | December 13, 2023 | New York Yankees | No Comments

What Yankees’ Juan Soto had to say about possible extension, Aaron Judge, playing at Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK — Juan Soto leaned back in his chair, a huge grin stretching across his face as he clutched the brim of his new Yankees cap with both hands.

“Putting on this Yankee hat, it definitely fits different,” Soto said.

Soto was conducting his introductory press conference on a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday evening, his first public comments since being traded from the Padres to the Yankees in a Winter Meetings blockbuster.

The superstar outfielder gushed about his new opportunity to suit up in pinstripes. Soto made it clear that he’s elated about his chance to play in front of Yankees fans — especially the Dominican community in the Bronx — and compete for a championship.

“In a perfect season, it’s winning a championship,” Soto said. “That’s what I think. Come over here and play good ball, try to do my job and help this team win as much as we can, that’s the mindset.”

Soto brings generational abilities to the table. The outfielder is one of the best hitters on the planet, a phenom that enters this season on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Now he’ll share the outfield and the heart of the order with Aaron Judge, creating what could go down as one of the best position player duos in franchise history.

“It’s going to be amazing,” Soto said of Judge. “He was one of the guys that reached out to me when I got traded. It’s going to be exciting, man. It’s going to be fun to see him play, hitting and playing the outfield. I’ll try to pick his mind while I’m there and try to enjoy the moment while I’m there.”

While his presence in 2024 is poised to bring the Yankees closer to World Series contention, Soto’s contract situation was the elephant in the Zoom room. The Yankees parted with a package of five players to acquire Soto (and outfielder Trent Grisham) knowing that the three-time All-Star is a one-year rental. Soto, with his agent Scott Boras also present on the call, was peppered with questions about his future and whether he’d be open to signing an extension to stay in pinstripes beyond next season.

With each question coming in from different angles, Soto’s replies stayed the same.

“My priority right now is just getting to know the team, getting to know the guys,” he said. “About any contract stuff, they know where to call and who to talk to. I’m here to play baseball.”

There’s a chance that Soto plays the rest of his career in a Yankees uniform. Depending on how this upcoming season goes, that could be a tempting option for the outfielder. But this 25-year-old knows his worth and with Boras in his corner, he understands that it’s in his best financial interests to take his talents to free agency next winter, giving other teams like the Mets an opportunity to outbid the Yankees for his services.

If Shohei Ohtani was able to secure a $700 million deal over 10 years with the Dodgers, Soto is well-positioned to sign a record-setting contract of his own, likely upwards of $500 million.

Asked if there’s anything that his new Yankees teammates can do to convince him to stick around, preventing a scenario where another club swoops in with a blank check, Soto insisted that it’s not their job.

“We’re here to make friends and make good relationships and try to be out there and play good baseball,” Soto said. “I think that’s the last thing that they’re going to be talking about. We’ve just got to go out there and talk about baseball and winning championships.”

What the Yankees can count on for certain is that Soto will make them better in 2024. Soto has great numbers in a small sample size at Yankee Stadium — he called it a great ballpark and a venue where he feels comfortable — and the outfielder has no intentions of changing his approach as a result of the short porch looming in right field. He’s a mature hitter that’s ready to do damage to all fields.

“There’s no reason to change [my approach],” Soto said. “I think I’m going to be trying to do the same thing and if I get the chance to pull the ball and hit it that way, that’s fine with me. But my strength is definitely going to left-center and I think that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

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