“Yankees can’t trade Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton” – Ex-Dodgers star doubts Juan Soto re-signing with Bronx Bombers (Image Source: Imagn)

Juan Soto’s free agency remains the hot topic of debate among baseball fans, with as many as five teams already reported to have made an initial offer to the left-handed slugger. Recently retired outfielder Kevin Kiermaier feels the New York Yankees cannot keep the 26-year-old in the Bronx unless they trade one of their top superstars like Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge.

Kiermaier was regarded as one of the finest defensive outfielders of his generation, winning four Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove over his 12-year career. He spent 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays before joining the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers this year, where he won the World Series, having announced his retirement at the end of the season.

On Monday, Kiermaier made an appearance on the “Kasa de Klub” podcast. He gave his view on the possibility of the Yankees re-signing Juan Soto for the long haul.

“They got [Giancarlo] Stanton, [Aaron] Judge, [Gerrit] Cole,” Kiermaier said. “And I know they are not afraid of luxury tax or anything like that. But they’ve got a lot.

“They’ve got a lot to maintain over there,” he added. “Unless they can move some pieces, which I don’t think they would be [willing to do]. You can’t trade Cole; you can’t trade Judge, Stanton and Rodon,” he added.

As per Sportrac, the Yankees had the second-highest payroll at the start of the 2024 season with nearly $309.5 million in player wages.

Record-breaking deal expected for Juan Soto

Juan Soto finished third in the 2024 AL MVP voting (Image Source: Imagn)

Juan Soto earned $31 million for his solo campaign with the Bronx Bombers, but they will need to pay him a lot more if they wish to re-sign him as a free agent. According to reports, the player and his agent, Scott Boras, will not settle for an offer below $600 million, which would smash the record for the largest contract for a position player in MLB history.

The New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have all reportedly had meetings with the marquee free agent over the past couple of weeks. The Mets are currently projected as the favorites to acquire Soto, but this off-season is still in its early stages, so it is unlikely that he will sign with any team just yet.