Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner tempers expectations for Juan Soto extension

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had been saying all the right things to the fan base regarding outfielder Juan Soto.

He had said that he wants to keep Soto in town for the rest of his career, a sentiment that general manager Brian Cashman echoed on Tuesday. And Soto, for his part, said that his door is open if the Yankees want to discuss an extension. While these words did not mean that a deal would get done, the mutual interest was a good sign.

Then Steinbrenner spoke again on Wednesday. He continued to praise Soto and said that he wants to keep him in the Bronx. However, as Dan Martin of the New York Post reported, Steinbrenner also stated that the Yankees' current payroll is "not sustainable" due to luxury tax penalties.

Steinbrenner did note that the Yankees have "considerable money" coming off of the books after the season. According to Spotrac.com, the Yankees have approximately $102 million coming off their payroll. Another $24.5 million would be freed up if the team options for Anthony Rizzo, Luke Weaver and Lou Trivino were declined. The Yankees would have enough room in the budget to target Soto should he reach the open market.

The freed up money also poses a problem, though. Spotrac shows the Yankees as having just six players under contract for next year. While several of those positions will be filled with pre-arbitration or arbitration eligible players, the Yankees will still have multiple important holes to address on their roster.

Those holes lead back to Soto. There is no questioning what he means to the Yankees lineup. A potential outfield of Soto, Aaron Judge and top prospect Jasson Dominguez could be special. Such an alignment is also contingent on bringing Soto back. His contract demands and the Yankees' imagined budget may not mesh.

The New York Yankees have said all the right things about keeping Juan Soto. Their budgetary concerns, however, tell a different story.