MLB insider shares prediction about Yankees, Juan Soto

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner generated headlines this past spring when he somewhat controversially said that the club's payroll is "not sustainable" long term due to luxury-tax penalties. Since Steinbrenner offered those comments, All-Star outfielder and pending free agent Juan Soto has produced a career-best season that could allow the slugger to reset the market for position players this fall. 

On the latest edition of the "Pinstripe Territory" podcast, ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney suggested Steinbrenner may be hoping he receives some type of discount during negotiations with Soto's camp once the 25-year-old hits the open market following the World Series. 

"I do think, in the end, the Yankees are going to be outbid by somebody," Olney said about Soto's upcoming free-agency experience, as shared by Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I can’t see Hal going to nutty numbers and we don’t know if (New York Mets owner) Steve Cohen is going to do like he does with some of his art and just blow the competition out of the water."

By all accounts, Soto has loved featuring for the Yankees since joining them from the San Diego Padres via a December 2023 trade. Some have wondered if helping the Bronx Bombers win their first World Series since 2009 could convince Soto to accept less money from the Yankees than what he may receive from the Mets, but the only significant clues he has offered about his mindset point to the fact that he plans to test free agency. 

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Yankees second among the betting favorites at +400 odds to win this year's World Series. 

"We don’t know really what’s in Soto’s heart," Olney explained. "Does he really want to stay with the Yankees, or, like a lot of players, and by the way, this is totally their prerogative, some players equate money for respect."

ESPN's Jorge Castillo reported earlier this month that "the Mets loom as the Yankees' strongest competition" for Soto's services because "Cohen's deep pockets and burning desire to win could upend the bidding war." It's believed Cohen could be willing to give Soto a deal worth as much as $600M over 12 years.

"I was told in spring training: That’s (the Mets') guy," Olney added about Soto. "Soto is the focus on what the Mets are going to try to do."

Perhaps Steinbrenner will change his mind and essentially offer Soto a blank check to stay with the Yankees if they fall short of at least making their first Fall Classic appearance since '09.