"Yankees didn't do that with Aaron Judge" - Ex-MLB star confident Juan Soto won't be with Bronx Bombers in 2025
Former All-Star infielder Harold Reynolds feels Juan Soto played his last game for the New York Yankees in their Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. Reynolds believes the Yankees were not entirely committed when they expressed their desire to bind Soto to a long-term contract in the middle of the season, as they had similarly allowed Aaron Judge to move into free agency two years ago.
Harold Reynolds played 12 years in the major leagues and spent nearly his entire career with the Seattle Mariners. He earned two All-Star selections and three Gold Gloves as a second baseman, besides winning the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award in 1991. Reynolds is also a four-time Emmy Award-winning baseball analyst who has been working on the MLB Network for a number of years.
On Monday, Harold Reynolds offered his thoughts on whether Juan Soto played his last game with the Yankees and will return to the Bronx Bombers next year while speaking to Matt Vasgersian on the Hot Stove for MLB Network.
"Has Juan Soto played his last game with the Yankees?" Matt Vasgersian asked.
"Yes," Reynolds said.
"In April, Hal Steinbrenner came out with a statement, 'We're going to do everything we can to sign him.' When did the Yankees ever do that?" Reynolds asked. "They didn't do that with their own guy. With [Aaron] Judge.
"The Yankees are always like, 'We don't talk to people until the off-season.'" Reynolds added. "I think when he said that and they really worked on something, they knew they were not going to get anything done. [They thought], 'Let's enjoy this run with this year.'"
Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, has expressed his desire to keep Juan Soto in the Bronx for the long term, but nothing has materialized as yet.
"They are going to legitimately think they are in it": Harold Reynolds on the Yankees re-signing Juan Soto
The New York Yankees could not convince Juan Soto to sign a contract extension to keep him in the Bronx for the foreseeable future. Harold Reynolds feels the Yankees will believe they are still among the favorites to get Juan Soto, even though many other teams will also be involved in the race to sign the hottest free agent of this winter.
"They are going to make a run. They are going to legitimately think they are in it," Reynold said. "But I think, in their heart of hearts, they know that he's on the market now.
"They had all the time to show him everything about New York that is great," he added. "They embraced him, and New York was awesome for this guy. And they still didn't do an in-season deal. Do you think the Yankees didn't try to get something before they knew where he was headed?"
The New York Yankees had traded for Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in the last off-season on a one-year, $31 million deal right before he was set to become a free agent for the first time in his career.