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DALLAS — I have a sneaking suspicion the Yankees breathed a sigh of relief when Juan Soto picked the Mets on Sunday night. Although owner Hal Steinbrenner continued to increase his offers until the final hours, he can now spread the millions on the rest of the roster.
There’s one caveat, however: The Yankees can only improve if Steinbrenner keeps writing those massive checks. If he was ready to fork over $760 million for Soto, then he’d better show the same commitment to finding upgrades at first and third base and landing a front-line starter and a home run-hitting outfielder.
I have a few suggestions: Anthony Santander, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman and Corbin Burnes would all look good in pinstripes. The Yankees already are mapping out a Plan B, although the focus for now is still on Steinbrenner.
To those who thought the Boss’ son was too cheap to go checkbook to checkbook with Steve Cohen, it’s time to admit you were wrong.
Steinbrenner came within $5 million of the baseball’s wealthiest owner. Not only that, Steinbrenner upped his offer by a whopping $100 million in just the last few days.
No one — not even members of the Yankees’ brain trust — believed Steinbrenner would cross the $700 million threshold. By Sunday night, as Soto was close to making a decision, Steinbrenner fattened the contract to an insane $760 million over 16 years.
The Yankees believed they could convince Soto to re-sign as long as they were competitive with Cohen. They didn’t necessarily have to outbid the Mets, just get close enough to show Soto they meant business.
The Yankees thought they had the sales pitch to appeal to Soto’s competitive nature and his vanity: Take Cohen’s $21 billion portfolio out of the equation, they said, and then look at the tale of the tape.
Attendance. TV ratings. National following. Overall revenue. Ballpark dimensions. Aaron Judge. The path to the World Series. History and tradition.
The Yankees believed they trumped the Mets in every respect. They thought Soto would see it, too — especially after a trip to the World Series just two months ago.
But now?
Soto is headed to Flushing, and in the words of one industry observer, “Good luck dealing with the Dodgers every year.”
As disappointed as the Yankees are today, however, no one is angry with Soto. He was, after all, the driving force in the club’s first pennant since 2009. Soto was as good as advertised: tough and unafraid of pressure.
But Soto also proved he was after the money all along. He loved playing with the Yankees in 2024, which is not to say he loved being a Yankee.
Soto spent the summer establishing his market value. He just happened to be wearing pinstripes while doing so. Soto was coy about his future but should’ve been more honest from Day One.
To say, “I’m looking for as much money as possible” would’ve tempered the fans’ expectations. Instead, the ticket buyers went from idolizing Soto to hating his guts in just 24 hours.
But that’s not fair. Soto earned the contract. And he had every right to leverage Cohen into an overall deal that could be worth more than $800 million.
And if nothing else, Soto changed the public’s perception of Steinbrenner. He’s gone from the meek offspring of the original Boss to suddenly having the guts to offer a one-year mercenary more than double Judge’s contract.
Any reasonable Yankees fan will acknowledge Steinbrenner stepped up. He didn’t cheap out. In fact, he was ready to overpay.
Now we’ll see if Steinbrenner’s appetite was whetted — or, like a guy waking up from a weekend bender, vows to never touch another drop.
If Steinbrenner was energized dealing with Soto and agent Scott Boras, then Yankees fans are in for a thrilling hot stove. You can count on the Bombers looking radically different — and better — by spring training.
But a return to cautious spending would be Steinbrenner’s worst option. Here’s the litmus test: If Trent Grisham is the Opening Day center fielder, you’ll know Steinbrenner has chickened out.
The same goes for starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, infielder DJ LeMahieu and second baseman Gleyber Torres. If any of them are still around in ‘25, that means Steinbrenner lost his nerve.
The Yankees are obligated to turn Soto’s defection into a positive. Without a bold Plan B, Steinbrenner will allow the Mets to become the market’s No. 1 team.
Soto’s signing has already shifted the balance of power in New York. The Yankees and Mets are in a dead heat as of today.
Steinbrenner shouldn’t accept that. His old man certainly wouldn’t have.
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Bob Klapisch may be reached at [email protected].
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