Yankees aggressiveness with Juan Soto should raise Aaron Judge eyebrows

The New York Yankees may come to regret how they recruited Juan Soto.

World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Yankees – Game 5 / Luke Hales/GettyImages

New York Yankees stars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are good friends. If Soto were to reach out to Judge, the latter would surely suggest the former be patient. When Judge re-signed with the Yankees, it took a late-night phone call with Hal Steinbrenner to get the point across.

Judge agreed to stay put coming off a record-breaking season, but Steinbrenner also offered him a captain spot, something which hadn’t been registered since Derek Jeter.

Soto, on the other hand, would be signed to be Robin to Judge’s Batman. That isn’t necessarily ideal circumstances, though Soto is a surefire Hall of Famer not matter what. At this stage of his career, Soto is on pace to be the Ted Williams of his time. That is why the Yankees are willing to pay such a steep price for Soto to remain in the Bronx.

Yankees have to rush Juan Soto’s meeting

The Yankees might have to rush Soto’s meeting, as he is reportedly expected to decide on a team in early December, as detailed by NJ.com.

“Observers believe Soto and Boras will choose a finalist by the first or second week of December,” Bob Klapsich wrote. “That doesn’t leave the Yankees much time to gauge the competition. Steinbrenner will need to negotiate aggressively from the start.”

Honestly, an early decision would be preferable not just for the Yankees, but other teams involved such as the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Mets. It allows them time to move to their backup plans, which include multiple big-name free agents. Even if Soto were to sign elsewhere, the Yankees then could use that money to bolster their lineup and rotations – scenarios they have surely discussed already given the money it would take to sign the four-time All-Star.

Soto had 7.9 WAR last season and slashed .288/.419/.569 for a .989 OPS. He is one of the best players in baseball in his prime and frankly worth every penny, which is why teams like the Yankees and Mets are willing to bid $600 million plus on him for the duration of his contract.

Judge receive a nine-year deal worth $360 million. At the time, it was an unthinkable deal, yet it was surpassed by Shohei Ohtani justa year later thanks to deferred money. Soto will surpass that, and decide on a new destination in a quicker timeframe than Judge. As Yankees captain, he’ll be just fine with that assuming Soto remains a Yankee.