Juan Soto's decision dictating Yankees' plan of action

For the second time in three years, the Yankees enter the winter meetings in a holding pattern as they wait for a superstar outfielder to make a decision about his future.

In 2022, of course, the player was Aaron Judge, who fully availed himself of the free-agent process and, while doing so, held his proverbial cards close to the vest.

The Yankees — as well as other teams such as Judge’s hometown Giants and the Padres — were kept mainly in the dark on the outfielder’s feelings. Then word broke during the winter meetings in San Diego that he had agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract to remain with the Yankees into his 40s. (In addition to the money, a ninth year was important to Judge, who hammered out that final part of the deal in a late-night phone conversation with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.)

The Yankees, though engaged with the free-agent market in a cursory way  until that point in 2022, nonetheless were in flux, unwilling to lay out any other big-money contracts before learning Judge’s intentions.

They again are in the same boat.

With this year’s winter meetings set to begin Monday in Dallas, the Yankees are holding off on the big-box portion of their offseason as they wait for Juan Soto’s decision.

Many in the game believe there’s a better-than-even chance that call could come sooner rather than later — if not on the eve of the meetings, then at some point during them.

The 26-year-old rightfielder set himself up for a record payday with a terrific 2024 season with the Yankees. From the start of the year, the industry expectation was that Soto would land a contract approaching and perhaps surpassing $600 million, and nothing has changed in that regard.

It’s just a matter of which of the big-market teams who have pursued Soto — a group that includes the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and Blue Jays — he ends up choosing.

“He’s just got a lot of information to meld through,” Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, told reporters this past week in Los Angeles after the Dodgers signed one of his many other star clients, Blake Snell. “We've had meetings with a number of franchises. He's begun the process of eliminating teams . . . Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we'll see.”

With Judge and Soto leading the way offensively in the regular season, the Yankees qualified for the World Series for the first time since 2009, and they very much want Soto back.

That being said, the feeling from some in the organization is that — long-term at least — the club might be better off spreading the wealth  when it comes to winter dollars spent because of the other considerable needs of the roster.

Among them: the infield (primarily first base and, if Jazz Chisholm Jr. stays at third base, then second base), the bullpen and, depending on what happens with Soto, the outfield.

General manager Brian Cashman, speaking at last month’s GM meetings in San Antonio, also spoke of an interest in bolstering the rotation. There has been early follow-through on that as the Yankees have had preliminary discussions with free-agent starters Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, among others.

Regardless of those needs, collectively the franchise — starting with Steinbrenner, certainly — is aware of the PR hit that would come with being outbid for Soto. It would be significantly worse if Soto ends up in Queens, home of the game's wealthiest owner by far in Steve Cohen.

Soto consistently stated all season how much he enjoyed playing with the Yankees, but he never tipped his hand beyond that.

“I feel like every team has the same opportunity when I’m going to free agency,” Soto said after the Yankees’ season-ending loss to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series. “I don’t want to say anybody has any advantage, because at the end of the day, we’re going to look at what they have and how much they want me.”

There are indications, though no guarantees, that it will be resolved soon. One way or the other, that will allow the Yankees to continue building their 2025 roster.

One way or the other, the sooner the better.