Yankees owner hints at possible extension talks with Juan Soto

Juan Soto has been everything that the New York Yankees imagined that he would be when they made the move to acquire him before this season. Soto has regularly been the best hitter in the New York lineup to begin 2024, even topping Aaron Judge who was the AL MVP favorite heading into the season.

Soto, 25, is slashing .310/.408/.530 which is good for an OPS+ of 167, leading the team. He's also clubbed nine home runs and eight doubles in less than 200 at-bats.

But he's set to enter free agency at the end of the season and his agent, Scott Boras, is typically eager for his clients to test free agency. But New York seems to have other plans as of now.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner notes they will likely engage in extension talks with Juan Soto this year

While Boras typically doesn't let his clients ink deals before testing the market, his strategy worked against him last offseason. Many of his clients, including Blake Snell, lost out on millions of dollars after turning down deals early in the offseason.

Not only did his clients lose out on the money, but they didn't get full spring trainings with their clubs, leaving them a bit behind as the season began. This could absolutely play a part in whether or not Soto wants to talk contract extension this season.

With a player like Soto and a franchise like the Yankees, the deal will be massive. It will likely be the biggest deal in baseball history, besides Shohei Ohtani's $700 million deal that he signed last offseason.

But for a player that just hits or just pitches, Soto should clear them all. He's still 25 years old, meaning he's maturing and improving as a player. Despite his young age, he has as much experience as anybody in baseball history before turning 26.

He's one of the game's best offensive players and he will be for years to come. New York has the money and the cap flexibility.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said that he wants Juan Soto to finish his career in New York. He has the money to make this happen. We very well could see a record-breaking deal get inked as the season continues on.