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Juan Soto Bluntly Addresses Free Agency Plans After Yankees’ World Series Loss
Juan Soto was one of the last New York Yankees players to leave the dugout after the team lost the World Series in a 7-6 Game 5 defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.
In the biggest of moments, the Yankees couldn’t deliver, and now Soto could be looking for his next team amid rampant speculation over his future.
Soto’s teammates and coaches have made their opinion clear: “Stay with us,” Giancarlo Stanton said in a postgame media session. But Soto, who joined the Yankees this past December, is primed to test free agency this offseason.
The star slugger was asked if he expected the New York Mets to pursue him in free agency, and he gave a telling response.
“I don't know what’s the teams that are going to come after me,” Soto said. “But definitely, I’ll be open to this and every single team. I don’t have any doors closed or anything like that. I’m gonna be available for all 30 teams.”
Juan Soto was asked if he expects the Mets to go after him in free agency:
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) October 31, 2024
"I don't know what's the teams that are going to come after me. Definitely, I'll be open to this and every single team. I don't have any doors closed. I"m gonna be available for all 30 teams pic.twitter.com/3VICeWeney
Not a good indication of his chances of staying in the Bronx.
Soto, 26, helped the Yankees reach their first World Series since 2009, slashing .288/.419/.569 with 41 homers and a league-leading 128 runs during the regular season. He's reportedly expected to earn a contract in excess of $500 million.
In the wake of the Yankees’ crushing World Series loss, Soto elaborated on his time with the team and discussed whether the Yankees had an advantage in his upcoming free agency.
“Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard. This place was really special. It’s been a blast for me. I've been really happy,” Soto said.
“I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency. I don’t want to say anyone has an advantage because at the end of the day we’re gonna look at what they have and how much they want me,” continued Soto.
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Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.