Juan Soto's hot start begins to set stage for important offseason

Juan Soto wanted to make a big impression with his new team, especially after the New York Yankees helped him avoid arbitration by signing him to a one-year, $31 million contract this offseason.

So far so good on that front as the Yankees raced off to a 4-0 record with a sweep over the Houston Astros. A sweep that Soto played a major part in, by the way, as he went 9 for 17 from the plate (.529 average) with four RBI.

Soto's two-out RBI single in the ninth inning on Sunday helped the Yankees complete the sweep with a 4-3 win.

"That's the kind of start I wanted," Soto said after the game, per ESPN. "I grinded really hard this offseason and in spring training to be successful in the beginning of the season."

Soto has plenty of reasons to want a hot start.

The one-year deal with the Yankees obviously didn't come with any long-term guarantees, but it did provide the slugger the opportunity to clean up as a free agent next offseason as long as he continues to perform and stay healthy.

One can only imagine how much money he'd make as a free agent considering the fact that his one-year deal with the Yankees broke Shohei Ohtani’s record for an arbitration-eligible player. Ohtani played for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 under a $30 million one-year contract before signing a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason.

New York will want to keep Soto if he stays healthy in 2024, but Ohtani's contract with the Dodgers does paint a picture as to what kind of money and longevity Soto can expect out of his next contract if he continues to play like one of the best players in MLB.

So yes, the hot start was important for Soto and he has millions of reasons to keep it up.