Sean Casey isn’t the Yankees’ hitting coach anymore, but that hasn’t stopped him from weighing in on the team’s pursuit of Padres star Juan Soto.
Not only does the Mayor want Soto in pinstripes, but he publicly called for a deal to happen on his “The Mayor’s Office” podcast.
“You see Judge and Cole, the window is probably the next six years,” Casey said. “It would make the lineup so much longer if you get a star left-handed bat. For me, when I look at it, it would be such a grand slam for them to get a guy like Juan Soto.”
Soto hit .275 with 35 home runs and 109 RBI in San Diego this season and he also posted a 155 wRC+. He spent four-and-a-half years in Washington before being shipped to the Padres in 2022. He’ll be a free agent next winter.
The Padres should be motivated to move Juan Soto. He earned $23 million in 2023 and Spotrac estimates he’ll earn $27 million next year. The Padres, meanwhile, have a clogged payroll courtesy of Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts.
The trade package San Diego gets back for Soto won’t be too bad either. And Casey thinks the Yankees should make him their top priority this winter.
“They need it man,” he added. “The Yankees need a star left-handed bat. A guy like Soto, what is he, 24-25 years old? This would be the guy for me.”
To say Soto fits in New York might be the understatement of the year. His powerful lefty swing brings back memories of Ken Griffey Jr. The Yankees, as Casey said, desperately need a lefty-hitting outfielder.
Enter Soto, a former batting and World Series champion who has also led MLB in walks for three years in a row. Forget that the Yankees don’t currently have a hitting coach. Just for a second. Any hire would be crazy to not want Juan Soto in the lineup.
However, any trade requires heavy lifting from general manager Brian Cashman. Trading valuable minor league talent is only half the battle. In this case, he’ll also need to have an extension offer ready and waiting. If Juan Soto is Zava, Cash should be aggressive now rather than wait for more suitors to turn up at the trade deadline.
The circumstances are just too perfect and Sean Casey is right. Juan Soto should probably be a top priority for the Yankees this offseason. It’s just a matter of how willing Cashman is to trade prospects yet again.
Except in the case of 25-year-old Juan Soto, mortgaging the future is probably worth the risk.
