WATCH: Juan Soto’s sliding catch robs Alex Bregman in second straight Yankees victory
Earlier in the offseason, the New York Yankees depleted their pitching depth to acquire Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres. And so far, Soto has done everything expected of him.
Recently, Soto put up an exemplary defensive effort in Friday's win against the Houston Astros.
In the bottom of the seventh inning against Victor Gonzalez, Alex Bregman sent out a high fly ball between right field and center field. Soto arrived just in time and took a sliding catch to rob Bregman off a hit, potentially saving some runs as two bases were already loaded.
At the plate, Soto hit third in the lineup and went 3-4, including an RBI and a walk.
The Yankees ended Houston's 1-0 lead in the seventh when they scored two runs. They followed it up with four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. On the other hand, the Yankees pitcher shut the doors for the Astros hitter.
The Yankees won the game 7-1 and took the series to 2-0. They next play the Astros on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
Insider expects Yankees to be 'aggressive' in Juan Soto's long-term stay in Bronx
Apart from Juan Soto's impact on the field, his long-term future with the Yankees will be a hot topic throughout the 2024 season. Soto will hit free agency at the conclusion of this season. However, the Yankees can be 'aggressive' to lock him up for the near future with a lucrative extension offer, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
General manager Brian Cashman, in conversation with Jon Morosi, said the odds are against Soto signing with the Yankees ahead of the offseason.
"We recognized when we went into this situation that the odds are that it's a one-year situation before free agency. Certainly, that can change, I guess, but the odds are certainly against that. He's this close to free agency. I don't see too many things stopping him from hitting free agency," Cashman said.
"So we're just looking to see if we collectively can crush it together, have an amazing walk year and [have] him put up the numbers he's capable of putting up with the cast of characters that we're going to surround him with. See if we all can have a good time and then have a conversation thereafter."
According to Gonzalez, the Yankees might offer a contract that surpasses Aaron Judge's nine-year, $360 million deal.
Juan Soto is still 26, so expect the sweepstakes to be joined by many big market teams.