Juan Soto is off to an awesome start in his first year as a member of the New York Yankees. After his game-winning home run in the 9th inning against the Giants today, he’s the current favorite to be the MVP in the American League. Juan Soto will be a free agent after this year, and will be 26 when he enters the open market.
In other words, he’s entering the prime of his career and will be the most sought-after free agent in a long, long time. The biggest question is whether or not he should be a “mercenary” aka going to the highest bidder, or staying with a team that has a chance to win every year. The Yankees, of course, are perennial contenders. They constantly have the pitching, hitting, and overall just seem to be in position to make noise in October every single season.
However, Juan Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, seem keen on testing the market and seeing what the top of the market would be. With the type of year Soto is having, he’d be foolish to not test the market. Surely, almost every team in baseball would vie for his services. He very well may be a Hall of Fame player already in his career, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down. However, should money be his only consideration? He’s already made more than enough to live extremely comfortably. This year alone he is making $31.5 million thanks to arbitration. Even if the Yankees couldn’t offer the most money, they’d offer Soto enough for Soto to do whatever he wants for the rest of his life and then some.
At some level, all fans want players to feel like they’re playing “to win”. Soto doesn’t need the most money. He will make more than enough in his career. Will legacy play any part in his decision making? Does Soto or Scott Boras care about that?
Only time will tell, but Juan Soto is clearly setting himself up to be one of the most highly sought-after free agents in recent MLB history.