Yankees’ Juan Soto seeks historic $700 million free agent deal, insider says

If New York Yankees want to keep superstar Juan Soto, they will have to take historic measures.

Since Soto was traded to the Yankees last offseason, projections for his next contract have been wildly varied.

Most believe the 26-year-old phenom will earn between $500 million and $650 million, which is a common rate for franchise-changing talent these days.

However, Soto is reportedly eyeing a $700 million contract with whichever team wins the winter lottery. according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Top free agent forward Juan Soto’s new magic number is believed to be $700 million (or more) – and that’s a solid $700 million, not the record $700 million contract with a 97 percent deferment that Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani received from the Dodgers,” Heyman. wrote.

When they acquired Soto last offseason, the Yankees knew they were about to enter a historic bidding war. While this front office may not pursue the same high-stakes opportunities as the early 2000s regime, the Yankees want to bring Soto back to the Bronx.

Heyman noted that “there is skepticism in the Soto camp as to whether the Yankees will ultimately be able to do this for a player who is not homegrown.”

Homegrown or not, Soto has had the biggest impact on the team’s roster outside of Aaron Judge. He had a career year hitting .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs (career highs), 109 RBIs, 129 walks and a 178 OPS+.

On top of that, Soto continued to prove that the postseason wasn’t too important to him. In his first postseason with the Yankees, Soto hit .327 with four home runs, nine RBIs, 14 walks and a 1.102 OPS in 64 at-bats.

The battle for Soto will be a major topic of the offseason and looks set to reach historic levels.