When Juan Soto spoke on the day that position players reported to Yankees camp, he donned a shirt with his name on it.
The navy tee deemed him “generational,” which certainly made for a statement. But what if that was just Soto’s bold version of wearing a name tag on the first day of school?
After all, Soto has had to change squads and introduce himself to new teammates more often than one would expect considering he’s a 25-year-old on a Hall of Fame track. Given his accomplishments — which include a championship — it’s crazy to think that the Yankees are his third club after being dealt from the Nationals and Padres.
The first trade made him cry after six and a half professional seasons with Washington. The second came as less of a surprise, as the Padres’ intent on shedding payroll this past winter meant they weren’t in a position to match — let alone top — the 15-year, $440 million extension that the Nationals offered in 2022.
Soto rejected that leaked pact, prompting second-guesses from some family members. For better or worse, that decision, made at age 23, set him on a path for San Diego, the Bronx and, most likely, the open market.
As Soto prepares for his Yankee Stadium debut on Friday, he is well aware that questions about his future will linger all season. A Scott Boras client, he is all but guaranteed to test free agency, where he could command a $500 million contract.
Brian Cashman has acknowledged this reality repeatedly.
“Since my first team, I always try to negotiate everything,” Soto told the Daily News on the last day of spring training. “I’m always open to listening to anything that they have. But at the end of the day, I need the best for my family, and I think we’ve been doing really nice decisions.
“And who doesn’t want to get to free agency? Everybody wants to get to free agency, but definitely, I think I’m in a good spot. I have good stability. Even though I got traded twice, I think I’m gonna be here for the full year. So I think that’s really good stability.”
Contrary to what Soto said, one year in one place would not qualify as stability to the average person. But trade rumors and extension talks swirled around him the last few years, so a season absent of all that is welcome.
But what about real stability?
Soto is going to settle on a long-term home next offseason, when he will be 26. He is on the precipice of generational wealth, but also a commitment that will surely stretch well beyond the next decade of his life. His impending contract will cover milestones on and off the field, personal development, changes in priorities and perhaps even the start of a family.
It’s a fascinating position to be in at such a young age.
“Not at all,” Soto said when asked if he ever thinks about the fact that he’ll have limited lived experience to lean on when setting the course for his foreseeable future. “But definitely, I feel like everybody wants to be in one spot whenever they get the chance to get a long-term deal. And that’s what I’m looking for. Try to get the years and try to make that place my home.”
Soto trusts Boras to steer him in the right direction, so he didn’t get all introspective. But Aaron Judge took some time to think about how his life changed between 25 and 30, when he signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees after being courted by the Giants and Padres.
“My priorities didn’t change too much,” Judge told The News, but his relationship status did. “It was always what was gonna set my family up the best. At the time, I wasn’t married. At 25, I was single, dating. I knew who I was going to marry. It just took a little bit of time. So I think it was really just about finding a way to support [my wife, Samantha], support my family, and what was just going to feel like home for me over the next couple of years. Playing in New York from day one, it felt like home.
“It is a tough choice, though. Even when I was 30 years old trying to make that decision of where I wanted to be, it’s tough. It’s daunting. There’s a lot of unknown in the future.”
The Judge and Soto situations are not identical, as the Yankees captain’s first full MLB season came at age 25. An older free agent, Judge’s blockbuster deal fell short of 10 years. It would not be a shock if Soto signed up for 15.
While there are differences, Judge still has insights on long-term commitments. He said that such decisions require serious conversations. Not only with one’s family but also with team ownership and front offices.
While the Yankees provided stability — Judge has spent his entire professional career with the organization — winning is one of his priorities. He needed assurances that the team would build around him before re-signing.
“One of the biggest factors when talking to the team — besides what I wanted to feel and my priorities — I just wanted to be around a team and around other players that wanted to win and had that as a main goal every single year,” Judge said. “But everyone’s priorities are different. Some people might want to be in a location more or closer to family, so everything’s different. But for me, I wanted to win. I wanted to set my family up and see where they were gonna be comfortable.”
It’s too soon to know if the Bronx will be the place that Soto deems coziest, but he certainly appears to be enjoying life as a Yankee thus far.
In addition to a torrid start to the season, he immediately found himself connecting with new peers in spring training. All accounts have agreed: Soto is fitting in just fine with the Yankees.
“Since day one of spring training, he’s done a tremendous job of just immersing himself in our culture and in our room,” said Aaron Boone, who believes Soto already feels empowered in the clubhouse. “The guys have embraced him. He’s one of them. I think we’ve seen he’s very comfortable.”
Judge has said that Soto has been a “great communicator,” and his swagger seems to be rubbing off on teammates. It didn’t take long for Soto to start joking with fellow All-Stars in the locker room at George M. Steinbrenner Field, and he frequently chatted and worked with the Yankees’ young Latin players, who hung on every word the Dominican-born superstar said.
In February, Soto visited the Yankees’ academy in the D.R.
“He’s an incredible guy,” Oswaldo Cabrera said. “He’s an amazing guy. He’s not just a good baseball player. Outside of the field, he’s an amazing person, too. Everybody loves that guy inside and outside of the field. But when we are in the cage, I’m like a kid watching a big guy.”
Added Anthony Volpe: “He’s definitely a leader on the field and off.”
Soto doesn’t want to tip his hand too much ahead of free agency, but he endorsed the idea that his transition has been smooth.
“I feel pretty good about it,” he said. “I’ve been getting to know these guys a little bit more. I feel we’re really in a good spot to start the season. We have only one month together, but we feel like we’ve been [together] longer than that.”
None of this is to say that Soto is going to pick the Yankees next offseason, as his free agency will draw other suitors. The Mets are expected to be one of them.
But the 2024 campaign will give Soto a chance to feel out the Yankees, their borough, and other aspects of the organization as he also weighs all the personal factors one should when making a major life choice.
Judge said he and Soto have yet to talk about all this stuff. But he’s confident that his new teammate will figure out what’s best for him in due time.
“He’s got good people around him,” Judge said. “He’ll make the right decision.”
