Yankees' Aaron Judge Addresses Chance Of Juan Soto Leaving In Free Agency

Will the Yankees be able to keep Soto in free agency?

Aug 25, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with right fielder Juan Soto (22) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees will enter the upcoming offseason with a massive question mark on the roster.

Will Juan Soto stick around with the Yankees for the foreseeable future or will the 2024 campaign be the lone season together? New York acquired Soto knowing that he was going to be entering free agency at the end of the year and that it was a possibility that he would be with the Yankees for one season.

The Yankees took the risk because Soto is a generational player. He has helped to completely transform the Yankees' lineup and he is a major reason why the team is considered among the top contenders in the American League this season after floating around .500 last year.

There's a lot to like about this team and they have a chance to do something special this fall. No matter what happens down the stretch, the Yankees still will have a tough decision to make about whether they want to hand out a historic contract.

Fellow Yankees superstar Aaron Judge spoke about Soto's upcoming free agency, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

"The price tag will be high. Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from the (Washington Nationals) in 2022, which prompted his trade to the (San Diego Padres)," Hoch said. "Industry sources speculate that Soto will land a contract in excess of $500 million this offseason, which would likely make him the Yanks’ highest-paid player, should they retain him. But that is the cost of doing business. And after three-quarters of a season watching him in their uniform, Yankees fans are finding it difficult to imagine life without the Soto Shuffle. Judge is right there alongside them.

"The fans are excited, they’ve got every right to be,” Judge said. “He’s an incredible player, he’s done a lot for us this year, and I think they definitely want to see a lot more of that to come. It’s going to be his decision in the end, what’s best for him and his family. So we can only do what we can.”

Hopefully, the two sides can come together on a long-term deal this winter.

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