MLB insider increases Yankees’ chances of signing Juan Soto given upcoming decision

The New York Yankees have improved their position in the battle to retain Juan Soto long-term.

On Wednesday, MLB insider Jon Heyman claimed that he feels better than before about the Yankees’ chances of re-signing Soto. He added that Soto loved the Yankees’ clubhouse and that the two teams had a good meeting recently.

In baseball, the consensus is that the Soto Sweepstakes comes down to a battle between four teams. The Yankees are dueling with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox for the 26-year-old slugger.

Soto is the biggest prize of the offseason. He is a four-time All-Star and three-time All-MLB first teamer, has won five consecutive Silver Slugger Awards and helped the Washington Nationals to the 2019 World Series.

After the San Diego Padres traded him to the Yankees before the 2024 season, Soto had a brilliant season. He hit .288 with a .419 on-base percentage while batting .569. His OPS of .989 ranked third in baseball. He had 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and 129 walks against 119 strikeouts. He also set a career high with a WAR of 7.9.

Soto’s free agency isn’t expected to last much longer. Reports suggest a solution could come as early as next week’s winter meetings.