Yahoo Sports senior MLB analyst Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the Yankees slugger’s actions following the team’s loss to the Dodgers in the World Series and if they expect him to return to the Bronx in 2025. Hear the full conversation on the “Baseball Bar-B-Cast” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

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Video Transcript

You were there for the SOTO.

Thanks y'all chat.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, I would say that right.

This is of course, one of the first things that, that people are wondering, um it took a while for the Yankees clubhouse to open post game.

Seems like Boone was, was addressing the team for maybe a little bit longer than expected or longer than normal.

But, but also, you know, makes some sense, but of course, it's Juan Soto is, is about to be the biggest story of the winter and, you know, as with his season ending like this, with his Yankees season ending like this, will he stay, will he go?

He's one of the last players in the dugout.

Of course, he was, I guess two batters away when, when, you know, Verdugo, the the nine hitter struck out to end the game and he was sitting in the dugout with holding his bat and wearing his helmet and he was one of the last guys in there uh in the dugout.

And so he talked about, you know what he was feeling and in those moments, nothing too surprising, but of course, he's just being absolutely bombarded with, you know, do the Yankees have an advantage to bring you back?

Are the me, you think the Mets are gonna come after you?

Are you like, do you, how much, how important is it for you to stay with?

Judge?

Like, do, do you wanna stay in New York?

Do you want to stay on the east coast?

Like, what matters the most to you in free agency?

All these things, right.

Do you wanna go to the Rockies?

Yeah.

No one asked that that's on me.

That's probably your journalistic failure that I didn't ask that.

Um, and SOTO struck a Jordan.

Jordan.

Could you imagine?

Could you imagine if you rose your hand in the SOTO scrum and said a Juan, the Rockies are a team.

Scott Boris once got a lot of money for one of his clients to side with the Rockies.

Anyway.

Um, the main tone again, I wouldn't say there was anything stunning, right?

But I think that the, the main things that SOTO conveyed was, you know, this is free agency, right?

This is whatever we're gonna, you know, I'm gonna talk to my people and uh, doors, no doors are closed.

He said it's, uh, it's open, open season baby.

Like let's, let's get it on.

And he, and he, and he kept saying it's all, it's about the teams, the teams need to, you know, people say, what are you looking for?

What are you trying?

Who do you want.

He's like, no, they got, they gotta come to me, you know, it's up to them, someone asked, are you like, are you gonna be comfortable if this lingers on, like, do you want it to last a long time?

Because, you know, these, some of these Boris free agencies have really lasted almost into March and he's like, it's on the teams, you know, it's not, it's on them to make it.

So he is just basically saying, you know, of course he said loved his time with the Yankees.

There was some, definitely some past tense used.

I don't want to think too much into that, but I would say he, he played it pretty straight.

I don't think there was anything too shocking.

I think the one moment that was, that was definitely funny was he got a question that was just like, you know, the fans love you here like they've been chanting, we want soda or resigned soto they've been doing that nonstop for months.

Does that, you know, play any impact you at all?

And he said kind of, he's like he delivered line.

He was like, I think that might impact ownership's decision but not necessarily, you know, you know, for, he said he appreciates the fans all those things.

So it's nothing too shocking.

It was pretty much everything you expected.

Soto or judge and Cole talking about how awesome he is and all these things and saying he's earned the right to go through this process and make the best decision for him.

But they'd love to have him.

How amazing is Boone talked about how great he was to manage all these things.

So nothing too surprising.

But it was, you know, there was a version where he could have been like, I love it here.

I would love to make it work.

We'll see what happens.

It was much more of just like I'm a free agent and we'll see what happens, you know.

Um and, and, and you know, this is, this is a process and I'm excited for it and, and they said, and his teammate said he should be excited for it.

I mean, he earned it and all those things ain't nothing free about that free agency.

I'll tell you that it's gonna be one expensive agency.

That's, that's how was the last thing on this judge because, you know, so does like, you know, all 30 teams available to all 30 teams and then afterwards judge goes up there and he should be like, yeah, you know, every team that can afford him will be calling his phone.

It's like, yeah, so that's certainly a smaller list.

Um but we will find out that is uh gonna be something we'll be talking about plenty, but that was soto of course, that is something we will continue to talk about.

We just mentioned.

Now, by the way, we have our initial free agency rankings already up on Yahoo sports.

So you can take a look at that top 50 if you are so inclined.

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