Inside The Pinstripes

Here's How the Yankees' World Series Woes Affects Juan Soto's Free Agency

Will the New York Yankees' shortcomings during this World Series affect Juan Soto's impending free agency decision?

Grant Young

Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after grounding out during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after grounding out during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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After suffering a 4-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night, the New York Yankees are now down 3-0 in the 2024 World Series.

Not only has a team never come back from a 3-0 deficit in World Series history (it has happened once in MLB postseason history, but we won't discuss that one instance), a team has never even forced a Game 6 when facing this dire scenario.

In other words, the Yankees aren't in a great spot ahead of Tuesday's Game 4 tilt. And by the time Wednesday rolls around, the Yankees' focus may have already shifted onto how their roster will change this upcoming offseason.

Of course, the most important aspect of this is what will happen with Juan Soto.

And an October 28 article from Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer discussed what the Yankees' World Series shortcomings to this point might mean for Soto's impending free agency decision.

"If Soto's choice came down to which is the best place to pursue wins, you really have to wonder why he would favor the Yankees," Rymer wrote.

"The Dodgers have been baseball's winningest team since 2013 and are now on the precipice of a second World Series title in five years. The Mets won more games than anyone after the Grimace game in June, and they actually managed to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS twice.

"Both teams also have significantly better talent bases than the Yankees, whose farm system was ranked by B/R's Joel Reuter at No. 29 in MLB in September," Rymer continued.

"Ultimately, only Juan Soto will know what's best for Juan Soto this winter. He's certainly not going to come away from free agency as a poorer man, and it'll be hard to argue against him returning if the Yankees make him the best offer.

"If they fail to do so, however, it will be just as hard to blame him for leaving."

Rymer concluded by writing, "Soto simply doesn't need the Yankees like they need him, and that has nothing to do with Soto and everything to do with them."

Thankfully for the Yankees, while winning is expected to be a big factor in Soto's ultimate signing decision, it will probably come second to money. And despite the Yankees' World Series struggles, they still made it to the Fall Classic. 28 other teams can't claim the same.

Plus they can pay the 26-year-old just as much as any other MLB club.

World Series woes aside, the Yankees still appear to be a favorite to sign Soto this offseason.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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