Taking a chance, the New York Yankees signed Juan Soto one year ahead of his free agency in the hopes of persuading him to sign a long-term deal. They might or might not win that wager, but their growing advantage appears to be substantial.
According to a recent article from The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner, Soto and fellow superstar Aaron Judge are becoming closer. After barely three months of playing together, the two have developed a genuine bond as they frequently exchange striking ideas.
“He’s a guy you can talk to and have fun throughout the game,” Soto said of Judge. “It’s been fun so far. It’s been great for us.”
Soto added that he has noted opponents pitching around him much less frequently as well.
“Definitely,” Soto said. “We’re almost halfway (through the season) and I know I have some walks, but it’s not like in the past. In the past, it was way higher walks. This time, that’s not happening.”
The Yankees will have to pay up if they want to keep Soto, no matter how close he and Judge turn out to be. However, any advantage they can get is a good one, especially if they are up against the deep-pocketed New York Mets. The Yankees wagered that one year with the team would make Soto want to stick around, and it might be working.
Soto’s numbers have been excellent this season. He entered play Wednesday hitting .305 with 19 home runs.
