Getty Brian Cashman smirking

The New York Yankees will have competition for superstar Juan Soto. He’s expected to meet with multiple teams in the near future, but the Yankees will also get a chance to meet with the youngster.

Everything centered around Soto at this point is focused on his potential contract. The Yankees have the money to get a deal done, but if a different team gives him more, there’s a chance he’ll end up in a different uniform in 2025.

Predictions have been all over the place, but the latest from Caleb Moody of Just Baseball was for the Dominican Republic native to stay with the Yankees on a 14-year, $360 million deal.

“We’ve discusses financials, length of term and now it’s a matter of who’s he going to sign this contract with. And it may sound unoriginal, but the Yankees seem to have everything that Soto will want for the next decade-and-a-half. They worked so well as an offense with him, taking home 2024 Team Silver Slugger honors, and the duo of him and Judge back-to-back in that lineup proved beneficial to both their numbers,” Moody wrote on November 13.

“As a left-handed hitter, being able to hit to that short porch in right field might only stand to build and exceed the career high in homers he belted this season. And at the end of the day, the Yankees are one of just three teams that can truly outspend anyone, alongside the Mets and the Dodgers. So if you pair that with what was an enjoyable “trial run” in 2024 for Soto in New York, this is the perfect scenario for him.”

Why Soto Should Want to Stay With the Yankees

There are a few reasons why Soto should want to stay with the New York Yankees. On the contrary, there are reasons for him to leave.

Regarding the reasons to stay, Soto would be protected by Aaron Judge, who’s regarded as one of the best hitters, if not the best hitter, in the world. Judge might hurt Soto’s chances of winning an MVP Award, but if he has a year as good as the big slugger in the future, there’s a good chance he’ll head home with some hardware.

It’s also the Yankees. The organization has a rich history filled with stars, which should excite him to be a part of it.

Regarding why he might want to leave, Soto could very well want to be the lone star elsewhere. Outside of maybe the Yankees and one or two other teams, Soto would be the guy. That’s intriguing from a marketing standpoint, as it could put more money in his pockets.

Still, it’s difficult to imagine that he’d get better brand deals outside of New York and a few other cities.

Yankees Need Soto to Decide Soon

Whatever decision the slugger makes, the New York Yankees have to hope he makes it as soon as possible. If he doesn’t return and makes that decision in February, the Yankees will have a tough time replacing him.

Not that it’d be possible to do so with the players on the market in MLB free agency, but at the very least, if the Yankees knew on November 27 that he plans to leave, they’d have time to make a trade and sign others.

Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan