Trevor Plouffe dismisses links of Juan Soto's Yankees switch - "They don't always get their guy"
Amid strong trade rumors between the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees for All-Star outfielder Juan Soto, many believe the Yankees could get this deal done this offseason. However, an MLB podcaster is skeptical that the Yanks will land the All-Star.
Former MLB third baseman Trevor Plouffe recently stated on Chris Rose's show that when a guy is widely linked to the Yankees, they don't always get the player. When being asked if Soto can be in Yankees pinstripes, Plouffe had this to say:
"I'm not reading it too far, into preliminary talk, it could mean anything. I believe it's in San Diego Padres' best interest to extend him. I don't know where they're getting all this money because they will need a lot of money to extend Juan Soto but I think that's where they should start."
He further added:
"If they feel like they're not getting any progress done, then yeah, maybe it makes sense, and maybe the Yankees make a play. We've heard them linked with so many players. Every single big-name player that becomes available, the way Soto is, we hear the Yankees mentioned but they don't always get their guy."
Why would Juan Soto want to be on an East Coast team?
Earlier this January, Soto signed a one-year, $23 million deal with the Padres, avoiding arbitration, and will be a UFA in 2025.
Amid trade speculation, Brittany Ghiroli from The Athletic on SNY suggested that Juan Soto might want to go to the East Coast to get closer to his family:
"A lot of people don't know this, but Juan Soto is extremely close to his family," she said. "So when he got traded from Washington DC out to California, his family couldn't visit as much. His mom used to live with him in Washington DC during homestand. She brings food, all of these amenities. That wasn't possible because it was so far in San Diego.
"So I think being on an East Coast team is something that really suits him," Ghiroli added. "He loves New York, he loves the atmosphere, he loves the state and certainly, as I said, family time, being able to fly and stay with him for home stands, it's something that's gonna factor in."
Only time will tell if the former World Series champion will be in Yankees' pinstripes before the 2024 season.