Juan Soto is now a New York Yankee, and that simple fact is enough to change the New York Yankees for the better. Not just that, it might just be enough to make them a World Series contender.
The New York Post was the first to report that the Yankees and the Padres agreed to a deal for 25-year-old Dominican Soto. The Yankees also received outfielder Trent Grisham. Meanwhile, the Padres get RHP Michael King, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez, prospect Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka.
On Tuesday, December 5th, the Yankees – who’d gone into the offseason needing outfield help and left-handed hitters, acquired Mexican Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox. That’s two for two for the Yankees in two days, both from our communities and when it comes to left-hand hitting outfielders.
Soto is heading into his final year before free-agency and is unlikely to sign an extension without testing the market, which means the Yankees are only guaranteed one year of him. The same is true of Verdugo. But a year of Soto still seems like a good bet for the Yankees – who had one of the worst offenses in MLB in 2023 and who now look to have one of the best ones.
In Soto’s six years in the majors, he’s made 3 All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards. He’s also drawn 640 walks and struck out 577 times – an almost unheard-of ratio for a player who, in that time, has also hit 160 home runs. Consistency has been Soto’s main thing since the beginning, and that’s exactly what the Yankees have been lacking and why Juan Soto instantly makes them one of the teams to beat in 2024.