Yankees' Steinbrenner Says He Had 'Good Meeting' with Juan Soto amid MLB Free Agency
November 20, 2024
Another day, another team that had a positive meeting with Juan Soto as he continues to bask in the glow of being the most sought-after free agent on the market.
New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner told reporters on Wednesday they had a "good meeting" with the four-time All-Star that lasted a couple of hours, but he didn't provide any other details about the gathering.
The Yankees are at least the fourth team that Soto's camp has had an in-person meeting with so far this offseason. The New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays are the other clubs.
Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a meeting on the books with Soto at some point this week. The Philadelphia Phillies also plan to speak with the 26-year-old, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Each of the meetings Soto has had so far resulted in everyone coming out of it feeling very good. The Red Sox and Blue Jays made "impressive in-person presentations" to Soto.
The Mets' visit with Soto went "extremely well," as they made a "big production" and were "very detailed" in making their pitch to him.
Even though there are several teams that are involved, there is some belief right now that Soto's decision will come down to the Yankees or Mets. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on Tuesday the "most likely scenario" will see Soto leave the Bronx for Queens.
If the ultimate decider is money, it's hard to imagine anyone making a higher offer than Mets owner Steve Cohen. He is reportedly willing to go past $50 million per season in a deal to land Soto.
Steinbrenner, on the other hand, has been more fiscally conservative in his ownership of the Yankees than his father was. He said during the 2024 season that the team's payroll was "simply not sustainable" at the $309.4 million level it was at.
This doesn't necessarily take the Yankees out of the equation, as their current projected payroll for 2025 without Soto under contract is $234.4 million.
Soto acquitted himself well in his first season with the Yankees after being acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres. He is an AL MVP finalist after hitting .288/.419/.569 with 41 homers and helping the Bronx Bombers reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.