First things first: Juan Soto is not miraculously rejoining the Yankees this year.
But the evidence keeps piling up and we can’t keep ignoring it. The player who signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets in December is not the same player who batted behind Aaron Judge last season. He’s gone on record saying he was ready to re-sign with the Bronx Bombers before the Mets made their offer.
The man is 2 for his last 17. He is batting a meager .247 with eight home runs and 20 RBI, and not in the same headspace. If you ask Yankees play-by-play man and ESPN radio host Michael Kay, there’s one reason: Soto wanted to re-sign in the Bronx, and his family forced his hand to the Mets. All because they were “comfortable” with the hands-on, free-spending Steve Cohen as opposed to the quieter, less meddlesome Hal Steinbrenner. Big checkbook with an owner a little too ready to post on X/Twitter, or the same with a reluctant king who trusts the kingdom to run itself.
What’s sad is that if Soto truly wants to go back to the Yankees, it’s not exactly out of the realm of possibility. There is a precedent. Trades like this have happened before, and recently. Not involving a player being dealt back to their old team following free agency, but the two examples we’ll cite are close enough.
The most recent one is Giancarlo Stanton. Former Yankee Derek Jeter had just bought a piece of the Marlins, and wanted to deal Stanton to shed salary. Stanton used his no-trade clause to block deals with the Giants and Cardinals. He made very clear: Yankees or bust. He was three years into a 13-year, $325 million contract with Miami.
Going back even further, there’s an even bigger example: Alex Rodriguez. The Texas Rangers signed him to a then-record 10-year, $252 million contract ahead of the 2001 season. Despite All-Star numbers and winning his first MVP trophy, A-Rod didn’t move the needle. Texas finished in last place for the first three years of the deal, and that was enough.
A failed trade to the Red Sox and a torn ACL from Aaron Boone later, Alex Rodriguez was a New York Yankee. The Yankees sent budding star infielder Alfonso Soriano to Texas in return.
So, what does either example have to do with Juan Soto? Well, at the core, nothing. He’s under contract with the Mets for the next decade-plus. No trade happens without the say-so of Soto, Mets president David Stearns, and Cohen.
And IF that day comes, the Yankees are in a position to probably make the Mets the best offer. They have a ton of young minor league depth. For the first time in a while, they have some talented youth that could be flipped for a greater need.
We won’t get into the nitty gritty specifics of who moves where, but we’ll say this. Call it copium, Yankees denial, whatever, but we can’t keep pretending Juan Soto is fine. Odds are greater than none that he’ll find his swing in the second half and that this slow start will become a distant memory.
But even then, too many questions keep the Mets from serious contender status. A thin pitching staff waits for Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas to be healthy. Pete Alonso, in the midst of a strong season, could opt out and take another whack at free agency. Even with Soto’s struggles, the lineup is too top heavy.
Add them all together, and it’s a potential recipe for “Fresh Disgruntled Ballplayer,” side of chips and a pickle included.
Again, it is highly unlikely that the Mets trade Juan Soto, especially to the Yankees. It’s more likely Cohen goes full petty and, inspired by recent comments, deals Soto to the Boston Red Sox. That’s a reach even by George Steinbrenner standards.
So, that leaves us right at the beginning, ladies and gentlemen, and a very simple one.
For the foreseeable future, Juan Soto is staying in Flushing.
