Hal Steinbrenner sounds like he has doubts about Yankees Juan Soto chances

The New York Yankees have long been the presumed favorites to re-sign Juan Soto, who spent a magical 2024 campaign in the pinstripes. While the Yankees fell short of their ultimate goal, just reaching the World Series is a major accomplishment, and it's a testament to what the Aaron Judge-Juan Soto duo can accomplish — assuming it sticks together.

That said, recent momentum appears to be moving against the Yankees. Soto has met with several prospective suitors and he will meet with more before the dust settles. The Yankees can offer the advantage of familiarity and stability, but money is an important factor for Soto, and perhaps his most ardent outside suitor — the New York Mets — wouldn't even require a move across the country.

The Mets in particular seem to be making inroads in the Soto sweepstakes. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the "most likely scenario" for Soto is a contract with the Mets. Steve Cohen is baseball's richest owner and he has never shied away from courting top-end talent. If the Mets outbid the Yankees and present Soto with a clear path to winning in October, as their recent NLCS appearance suggests, not much is keeping Soto from swapping the Bronx for Queens.

As for the Yankees, the heat appears to be getting to them. Owner Hal Steinbrenner didn't sound too confident when asked about Soto's looming decision.

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Hal Steinbrenner has little to say about Yankees confidence in Juan Soto pursuit

Admittedly, this is a tough question for Hal Steinbrenner to navigate. He can't come out and say "we think Juan Soto will re-sign," because there is tremendous potential for that to age poorly. If Steinbrenner says, "Yeah, he's a Yankee," and then Soto signs with the Mets, the optics are bad. Straight up.

So, in a sense, this non-answer is the only possible answer for Steinbrenner. That said, it still doesn't instill confidence in the Yankees fandom. Even during a World Series run, Soto worked overtime to make it clear that he would listen to any and everybody who made a pitch in free agency. The Yankees desperately want to lock up Soto for the next decade-plus, but these are complicated negotiations, and New York may not have the edge we once thought.

It's difficult to overstate how important Soto was to the Yankees this season. New York essentially rode the power of two bats, Soto and Judge, to a World Series bid. The American League is especially vulnerable these days, but the Yankees were a deeply flawed team propped up by two bonafide MVP candidates. If half of that two-headed monster leaves town, the Yankees suddenly look far less intimidating in the broader context of the AL.

There will be potential replacement options floating around the free agent market, but nothing (and nobody) can replace Soto. Not even in the aggregate. It's Soto or bust for the Yankees, and right now, it's feeling an awful lot like a bust.