“Dude give him money he’s going to be good forever” - Yankees fans urge franchise to offer Juan Soto long-term deal after slugger’s statement
Juan Soto has been everything the New York Yankees envisioned. From winning games to creating an impact off the field, Soto's acquisition has not only helped the Yankees lead the division but has also pushed the Yankees as strong contenders for the World Series.
Earlier this offseason, Soto and Trent Grisham were dealt by the Padres in exchange for a flurry of pitchers. Soto will become a free agent once this season is over. However, a mid-season extension isn't unlikely if the Yankees come in with a deal, which would prompt Soto and his agent Scott Boras to negotiate.
After Thursday's win against the Minnesota Twins, Soto mentioned his “door has always been open" to sign a midseason contract extension.
“They know the phone number and everything,” Soto said. “They know where to call. For me right here, I'm focusing on playing baseball. My thing is, try to help the team win.”
Hearing these remarks from the perennial star delighted Yankees fans who wanted the club to give him his desired contract.
"Whatever he wants," one fan wrote.
"Dude give him money he’s going to be good forever, he’s the type of dude who hits until he’s 40," another quipped.
"GIVE HIM 1 BILLION. I’ll chip in 1K if I have to," another added.
However, others pointed out that either Scott Boras or Hal Steinbrenner can "mess" up.
"I’m more worried about boras messing this up. Hal isnt that blind lol," one fan posted.
"HAL DO NOT F**K THIS UP," another added.
Yankees owner optimistic about Juan Soto extension with a special mention to Scott Boras
Scott Boras serves Juan Soto and is known to have a "strong relationship" with Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner. After the remarks from Soto came in the Yankees owner agreed to the thought of the star slugger's potential extension as he thinks a conversation can be in the books as the season progresses.
“I don’t think there's any doubt of that,” Steinbrenner told YES Network. “His agent, Scott [Boras], doesn't tend to normally do deals in the middle of a season. Neither do I. I think it can be a distraction. But as I said in Spring Training when I met with [the media], this is a unique situation and a very unique player.
"So, I wouldn't be shocked if there was a conversation or two had possibly during the course of the season.
Soto has been one of the players leading the team from the front this season, especially when Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were amidst a slow start to the campaign. Steinbrenner wants to give the former San Diego Padres star the opportunity to settle down before deciding on his long-term commitment to the franchise.
“I think it's worth doing at some point," Hal added. "I wanted to give Juan time to really settle in, have a conversation with him at some point and make sure that obviously the most important thing is, is this a place he can see himself for a long time?”
Despite this early season contract excitement, all signs point to the deal not happening in the midseason, given Boras' reputation. The agent would rather have multiple teams bid for Juan Soto in free agency than sign a shortsighted deal with the Yankees.