World Series: Yankees and Dodgers veterans offer free agency advice to Juan Soto, Pete Alonso
The Yankees' Juan Soto, left, and the Mets' Pete Alonso. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
LOS ANGELES — Next week or the week after, when baseball’s winter begins once the Fall Classic ends, New York’s baseball teams will see off into free agency two of the faces of their respective franchises: Yankees outfielder Juan Soto and Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
Soto, the best player available at any position, figures to have one of the most interesting and fruitful excursions into the open market in the history of the sport, given his age (his 26th birthday is Friday) and level of performance (early Hall of Fame track). His price tag may well exceed a half-billion dollars.
Alonso, among the most prolific sluggers in the majors since his debut, will be one of the other best bats available. His resume includes proof of durability and an ability to excel in the biggest market and in the playoffs. He is looking at a low-nine-figure deal.
Given that neither has ever done this before, we queried players at the World Series who have endured and enjoyed free agency to get their advice. Here are takes from some of the Yankees and Dodgers.
“If you think you deserve what you’re asking for, just go for it,” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “Don’t be afraid to make decisions that people don’t agree with.”
‘Be patient with it’
Officially, the offseason runs for three-plus months, early November to early or mid-February. Sometimes players don’t find new teams until later than that.
One of the overriding themes from former free agents: Patience is key. Don’t sweat it. There is no rush.
“First-time free agents, be patient with it. You’re going to get frustrated a little bit. It’s just part of the business,” Yankees lefthander Carlos Rodon said. “Not everyone gets a call day one, day two, week one, week two — hey, month one, month two. A lot of it can get psychological.”
Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo said: “It could be long, it could be short. Free agency has its ebbs and flows.”
A slow burn is a natural part of the process, though, with each party acting in its own best interests. As Rodon explained: Clubs want the most bang for their buck; players are looking for the most buck for their bang.
“Each side has a job to do,” Rodon said. “You don’t want to jump on the first thing you get. It happens over time.”
And that comes from a guy who didn’t even have to wait all that long.
Rodon did have to wait for the market above him to play out a bit. In December 2022, first Jacob deGrom signed with the Rangers, then Justin Verlander jumped to the Mets as his replacement. That left teams still seeking pitching looking at Rodon, the top remaining option. He joined the Yankees on a six-year, $162 million deal in mid-December.
“When your time comes, it comes in a wave,” he said. “And they all come. So, patience.”
Familiar and fond vs. new and exciting
Alonso will experience a version of what Aaron Judge went through in December 2022: Stay with the only organization you’ve ever known and a team you really love, or switch to another franchise that also seems to really like you and represents a new and exciting opportunity?
For Alonso, the answer will come in the form of the details of his negotiations with clubs (including, most notably, the actual contract offers).
For Judge, who had monster deals available from several teams, “it came down to unfinished business,” he said. And so he selected the Yankees, became their captain and enhanced his legacy (which to this point does not include a World Series title).
“The money and everything like that is great for your family, setting up your grandkids, all that,” Judge said. “But for me, it was really what I wanted to get out of this game and what mark I wanted to leave on this game.
“Getting drafted in 2013, all that was talked about being a Yankee was World Series championships. To be at that point and not have one — or not even be to the dance yet — really sat heavy with me. That played a big role in what kind of legacy I wanted to leave here with the Yankees.”
‘Enjoy the moment’
To become a free agent, to earn this crack at the payday of a lifetime, a player must spend six seasons in the majors. That is awfully difficult to do, and thus such an opportunity should be relished.
Consider: Soto hasn’t chosen his own employer since signing with the Nationals in 2015 when he was 16. Alonso, drafted by the Mets in 2016 when he was 21, never has.
“Just enjoy the moment,” Judge said. “This is something you look forward to your whole career. You never really get to make a decision on where you want to play or where you get to play. Usually you get drafted by a team, they tell you where you’re going, they tell you when you’re getting moved up. Now you get a chance to decide where you want to be, where you want your family to be. Just enjoy it, talk it over, talk to as many people as you can, soak in as much information as you can and just make the right decision.”
Los Angeles utilityman Chris Taylor said: “For me, it was enjoying the offseason, not stressing. All the work has been done, so you don’t have to stress too much about it. Just try to enjoy it. Whatever happens happens. It’s part of the reason you have an agent, so you don’t have to worry too much about it.”
Is free agency fun?
“It depends on how you look at it,” Rizzo said. “There are so many guys at different levels of free agency. If you’re talking about if it’s going to be fun for Juan Soto, I would say absolutely.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
