Hal Steinbrenner makes bold claim about Yankees losing Juan Soto to Mets

The New York Yankees quickly pivoted after they lost All-Star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Mets by making multiple big-name acquisitions this offseason. 

During a Tuesday appearance on YES Network's "Yankees Hot Stove" program, team owner Hal Steinbrenner made quite a bold claim about his current squad compared to the one that completed a trip to the 2024 World Series, where the Yankees fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. 

"I think we have a better team right now than we did a year ago today," Steinbrenner confidently said, as shared by Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. 

After Soto signed with the Mets, the Yankees gave ace Max Fried a massive contract and also took fliers on outfielder Cody Bellinger, closer Devin Williams and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, among others, as part of a Plan B. With that said, it's worth noting that Steinbrenner went beyond what many expected would occur as recently as November in an attempt to keep Soto from choosing the Mets. 

Steinbrenner's final offer to Soto was said to be worth $760M over 16 years. To compare, the 26-year-old slugger ultimately put pen to paper on a 15-year, $765M contract that could reportedly exceed $800M total and included a $75M signing bonus, an opt-out after five years and no deferred money. Additionally, it's believed Mets owner Steve Cohen was simply a better "salesman" in the closing days of Soto's free-agency journey and that Steinbrenner "didn't try to form a close relationship with Soto" last season. 

Soto heard "MVP" chants from passionate Yankees fans last spring as eventual two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge battled his way through a slump. While the likes of Bellinger and Goldschmidt may not carry the Yankees to wins as Soto did, at times, in 2024, Steinbrenner likes what the veterans can offer the clubhouse beyond the statistics they'll produce later this year. 

"I’ve heard great things about both of them, their leadership," Steinbrenner explained. "We’ve got a lot of young guys and we’re going to continue to bring young guys up and have them be a part of all this. Those are the kind of players you need..."

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Yankees as the betting favorites at +300 odds to represent the AL in the 2025 Fall Classic. Steinbrenner had better realize fans won't tolerate the Bronx Bombers falling short of at least making a significant playoff run this coming fall despite Soto's defection to Queens.