"Andrew Friedman wouldn't let Juan Soto go" - Ex-Phillies GM urges Yankees to offer $600,000,000 - $700,000,000 to Dominican World Series champion
Juan Soto and the New York Yankees are just four games away from bringing the title home for the first time since 2009. The 25-year-old superstar has been a dynamic force for the Yankees, helping change their fortunes from the previous season and leading them to win the American League.
However, there's a possibility that Juan Soto could depart at the end of the year. Despite his impressive season with the Yankees, the young outfielder will become an unrestricted free agent and will be looking for a massive payday. Former Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. spoke about Soto's pending free agency on Tuesday's episode of "The Phillies Show."
Amaro Jr. explained to co-hosts Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury that Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees must re-sign Soto, no matter the cost.
"They have to sign him. It's a no-brainer dude. It's the Yankees, sign him, done... no limit, just sign the dude," Amaro Jr. said of New York needing to lock up Soto for the future. [36:47]
It's clear that the offseason addition of Juan Soto last year was a complete game-changer for the New York Yankees and is something that Ruben Amaro Jr. thinks would be foolish to give up on.
"It's going to be a $700,000,000 deal or $600,000,000 deal, it doesn't matter, you got to pay it. Pay it and you have the player, if you don't pay it, you don't have the player. There's other people who are going to pay it [37:04]," He continued.
There is no denying the talent that Soto possesses, however, there is also no denying that he is going to command one of the richest contracts in MLB history. If one thing is clear about this year's World Series, you pay to play.
Both the Yankees and Dodgers have two of the most expensive payrolls in the MLB, and now they are vying for the crown. Amaro Jr. suggests if it were the other way around, the Dodgers would not be hesitant to re-sign him.
You act like the Yankees when you're the Yankees, just like you act like the Dodgers when you're the Dodgers, Andrew Freiedman wouldn't let him go," Amaro Jr. said. [37:23]
A number of teams have been linked to Juan Soto in free agency
There will be teams lining up to offer as much money as they can to sign Soto this offseason. If the New York Yankees are hoping to keep their dynamic duo of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto together, they will have no other option but to pay up.
If they decide that they don't want to give him his mega-contract, Soto has been linked to several other clubs who might. The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants are among the most likely teams vying for his signature, while the Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals have been linked. The Soto Sweepstakes could be an exciting one.