New York Yankees announcer Michael Kay generated headlines when he said earlier this week that he heard New York Mets owner Steve Cohen “is willing to go $50M over whatever anybody offers” in the pursuit of Juan Soto and that Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is probably not willing to match the figures attached to Cohen’s contract proposal.
While explaining that “Steinbrenner and his brain trust” walked away from Monday’s meeting with Soto’s camp “encouraged” that the All-Star outfielder will want to return to the Yankees, Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media touched upon how Steinbrenner is approaching the expected bidding war with Cohen regarding Soto’s services.
“Steinbrenner seems undeterred,” Klapisch said. “He’s believed to be ‘100 percent committed’ to being competitive with Cohen, according to one person familiar with the owner’s thinking.”
Kay was among those who previously questioned Steinbrenner’s willingness to offer Soto a record-breaking contract after the owner said this past spring the Yankees’ payroll was “not sustainable” due to luxury-tax penalties. Perhaps Steinbrenner quickly learned that fans reacted negatively to that comment, or maybe he experienced a change of heart after a Yankees squad that included Soto fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Along with the Mets and Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies are among the legitimate contenders to win the Soto sweepstakes. Klapisch revealed that “the Yankees are feeling awfully good right now” about their chances of holding onto Soto following Monday’s sit-down meeting.
“Despite an ever-growing number of suitors, which now includes the Phillies, the Yankees want to believe they’re ahead of the pack,” Klapisch explained. “‘It’s about the money, but not just the money,’ said one insider.”
That’s all well and good, but it’s still unknown if Soto will give Steinbrenner a discount to build a legacy with the Yankees. Aaron Judge reportedly left money on the table when he rejected an offer from the San Diego Padres in the fall of 2022, but Judge has played only for the Yankees during his MLB career and wanted to be the 16th captain in the history of the storied franchise. Meanwhile, Soto only joined the Yankees via a trade from the Padres last December.
What’s clear is Steinbrenner wants it known he will be “competitive with Cohen” assuming the Mets owner will “go full blast” to sign Soto. Whether or not Yankees fans will agree with Steinbrenner’s definition of “competitive” as it pertains to a battle with the richest owner in MLB shall be seen.