Could New York Yankees Lose Juan Soto to This NL Contender?

The New York Yankees losing their star to this NL contender would be an issue in many ways.

Aug 14, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) hits a home run against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

All Juan Soto has done throughout the season for the New York Yankees is raise his price.

The left-handed slugger was already projected to get a $500 plus million contract entering the year, but it feels very safe to say that at this point, he'll be walking away with at least this figure and then some.

The Yankees must do whatever it takes to retain him in the long-term.

However, there will be many other teams willing to give him even more than that. No matter what, New York needs to match the price. The Dominican Republic native is clearly one of the top hitters in baseball, and he makes the lives of the rest of the offense easier. 

Not only would losing him hurt because of the package the Yankees sent to the San Diego Padres in the trade during the offseason, but the fan base would be devastated.

At the end of the day, Soto has the final say regarding where he goes. If he wants to return to the west coast, maybe the Los Angeles Dodgers get involved. If he likes New York but wants to move to a different team, perhaps the New York Mets and Steve Cohen will hand him a blank check and walk out of the room. Both of these scenarios are realistic possibilities. 

That's exactly what Michael Brakebill of FanSided believes will happen. Brakebill predicted soon-to-be free agents landing spots. In his section about Corbin Burnes, he wrote that the Mets would sign him because the Dodgers would put all their money into acquiring Soto.

"The most coveted free agent starter this year will be Corbin Burnes, and the two finalists will be the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets... Consequently, they [Dodgers] can avoid getting as aggressive as to fill out their rotation. The Dodgers, like the Mets, have over $90 million coming off the books this winter. Still, they will spend a considerable chunk of it to acquire Juan Soto," Brakebill wrote.

Los Angeles can't be counted out in any bidding war. They showed last offseason that they're willing to spend whatever it takes to build a World Series roster. If they had Soto and Shohei Otani on their team for the next 10-plus years, there wouldn't be a club better suited to win multiple World Series titles.

However, if the Dodgers are willing to spend big money to sign him, it'll look even worse for the Yankees if they don't.