Yankees GM Brian Cashman gives mixed signals on Juan Soto's future amid $700M Mets deal rumors: "We'll be forced to go in different direction"
Without question, the offseason is going to belong to Juan Soto. The All-Star outfielder is expected to sign one of the richest contracts in MLB history, given his incredible production, age and skill set.
After helping the New York Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009, Soto is going to hit the open market and command an incredibly lucrative deal.
It remains to be seen which team will be the one that secures the signature of Juan Soto, however, the only thing that is going to be certain is that they will need to break the bank.
While the New York Mets have emerged as legitimate threats to sign Soto in free agency, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has expressed his interest in bringing him back into the fold.
Cashman spoke to reporters about Juan Soto and his free agency. The polarizing GM explained how the team would be willing to talk to Soto and his agent as much as they need to in order to facilitate a contract extension.
"Since he knows us, we're standing ready to meet with him if he feels necessary to meet with us as he understands the landscape of opportunities that now exist for himself," Cashman told reporters.
It will be interesting to see if the World Series run with the Yankees will influence Soto's free-agent decision, however, given the amount of money that could be at stake, it may simply come down to dollars. If that turns out to be the case, Cashman stated that the team is able to pivot in the scenario that Soto signs elsewhere.
"We certainly have interest in retaining him and we'll put our best foot forward there. That'll lead to us signing him back or we'll be forced to go in a different direction if we can't and if we can't, there's a lot of different players in thie marketplace who can positively impact this roster in different ways," Cashman continued.
While Cashman stating that the New York Yankees might be looking at the rest of the market could be a negotiating strategy, there is a realistic possibility that Soto could be in a different uniform next season.
The New York Mets are the most aggressive threat to sign Juan Soto this offseason
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen appears determined to land Juan Soto this offseason and his seemingly endless pockets may be the biggest obstacle for the Yankees.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, Soto and his agent Scott Boras could be seeking a deal worth $700 million, which is a number that the Mets could look to hand out.
We have seen Steve Cohen put his money where his mouth is in the past, spending nearly $500 million on free-agent deals, including signing Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga. If Cohen is going to land Juan Soto, he might be willing to sign him to that coveted $700 million deal.