Juan Soto not tipping his hand on whether he's definitely going to stay with Yankees
Juan Soto of the Yankees, right, seaks with Aaron Judge during the MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. Credit: Getty Images/Stacy Revere
ARLINGTON, Texas — Tuesday night’s All-Star snapshot of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the grinning duo standing shoulder-to-shoulder, should be framed by the Yankees for eternity. It’s a masterpiece, if only someone can photo-shop erase those garish tangerine-and-taupe American League uniforms.
Also, the Yankees have to figure out a way to keep their co-MVPs together for the next decade. And by that we mean laying out the $500 million or so it will take to secure Soto in pinstripes, which doesn’t feel quite as certain since the Yankees’ month-long nosedive.
For what it’s worth, Judge and Soto joked around like besties as they did their joint news conference Tuesday night. Does that mean they intend to be ride-or-die Bronx pals for life? Still too early to say.
“Let’s just get through this first year,” Judge said, smiling. “The main goal is to bring a championship back to New York. We’ll focus on that and get to the rest later.”
Once Judge gushed about playing alongside Soto in the Midsummer Classic, then it was Soto’s turn. Both wanted a crack at Pirates’ rookie flamethrower Paul Skenes, which required Soto to made good on his pregame promise about getting Judge to the plate in the first inning. He did, drawing a six-pitch walk, but Judge immediately swung at a 100-mph fastball, grounding out to third.
No matter. That still didn’t dampen the fun of strategizing for their showdown with Skenes, and the whole two-day stay at Globe Life Field fostered the mutual admiration society between Soto and Judge. At the plate, Soto ripped a two-run double off the Giants’ Logan Webb in the third inning and scored the tying run, carving a share of the spotlight for himself after Shohei Ohtani’s three-run homer, which was the big blow in what became the American League’s 5-3 victory.
The Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates after scoring on a single from David Fry of the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. Credit: AP/Julio Cortez
“Unbelievable experience,” Soto said of being with Judge. “It’s once in a lifetime that you get the chance to do that for the first time with one of the best players in the league.”
If Soto does sign long-term with the Yankees, it won’t be the last. While they’re virtually guaranteed to be All-Star teammates again if Soto remains in the American League, the shine will be off one of history’s most dangerous 1-2 tandems. And only Soto knows the true percentage chance of him staying in the Bronx beyond his season.
This week, Soto was again peppered with questions about his future, just as he was two years ago, wearing a Nationals uniform, during the All-Star festivities at Dodger Stadium. It happens so often with Soto, he should carry a Magic 8-ball in his hip pocket, along with the batting gloves and sunflower seeds.
On the record, Soto didn’t provide any hints. But there was a not-so-subtle clue relating to how this season in pinstripes would impact his choice this winter. And that may be less than we first anticipated.
“I don’t know if it’s going to affect my decision,” Soto replied. “Whenever we’re there, we’re going to sit down and look around. But right now, I hope to win another championship with the Yankees.”
As much as we’ve been conditioned to expect middle-of-the-road remarks from Soto, this one felt a bit too distant after a half-season playing alongside Judge in front of near-sellouts every night at Yankee Stadium. Perhaps it was naive to think Soto would already have some genuine attachment to the Bronx, after all those roll calls and putting up MVP-caliber numbers (23 HRs, .985 OPS).
Not that we ever doubted Soto would be a pure cash transaction. But there was also a prevailing thought on our part that Hal Steinbrenner could win a crosstown auction against the Steve Cohen Mets just for being the Yankees.
The Cohen Tax, in this scenario, refers to how much more the hedge-fund billionaire would have to pony up beyond Steinbrenner to get Soto to Flushing. Is it $50 million? An additional $100 million? But what’s happened over the past month may have leveled the financial playing field a bit. The Mets, who roared back from 11 games under. 500 to claim a third wild-card spot, the franchise of Grimace and “OMG,” now look like New York’s fun team on the rise. The Yankees, meanwhile, have been all gritted teeth and grinding gears to stay one game back of the AL East-leading Orioles at the break.
We believe Soto in saying he’s undecided. But consider what the Yankees already have done for Soto: uprooting Judge, the team captain, and giving the rental to both his position and No. 2 spot in the order.
It’s been a fruitful relationship, of course. Judge having another shot at breaking his own AL home-run record while building a case for a second MVP (34 HRs, 84 RBIs, 1.112 OPS) is probably not coincidental with Soto’s arrival. They’ve carried the Yankees across the first-half finish line, and it’s hard to imagine their otherwise sputtering lineup staying in the division race if Soto wasn’t in pinstripes.
He’ll make it past the trade deadline this time. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
