Calm down everyone, everything will be fine.
At least that’s the case for today.
As first reported by the Post, Juan Soto was diagnosed with only left forearm/elbow inflammation during an MRI this afternoon. Soto is expected to be “day-to-day.” Even better, the city as a whole seems to have weathered the downturn.
It doesn’t take a specific diagnosis to know the neighborhoods didn’t take kindly to the news that Soto was feeling pain in his forearm. Residents of area codes 212, 646, 516, 718, 201 and 914 were operating as if the world was ending, or at least the season was drawing to a close.
Now the real question arises: The Yankees and Soto have to figure out how to make this relationship more permanent.
It’s certainly best for the Yankees to keep Soto. And it says here that it’s probably best for Soto too. This may just be my New Yorker opinion, but where else does this fit so perfectly? Forget it!
I think that’s desirable on both principles, but judging by the fans’ collective and public upset over this MRI test, it’s becoming clear that it’s an absolute necessity for the fans, who may not be able to bear to see him take off his pinstriped uniform next season.
Hal Steinbrenner tactfully stated on his YES podcast with Jack Curry that he wanted Soto to be a Yankee for life, to which Soto aptly replied that he was always open to listening. Steinbrenner even suggested that he would like to find a solution during the season. Steinbrenner’s sentiments are valid, but of course, that’s just as unlikely as Soto signing with the Miami Marlins.
There’s no way he’d pass up free agency with just a few months to go — Soto has turned down seven contract offers, none of which came so close to free agency — but it was good to hear Steinbrenner recognized Soto’s importance right away (and he didn’t have to worry about injuries).
Soto is keeping his cards close, so it’s unclear how he feels about staying. Teammates say he’s enjoying life here, and by all appearances, he is. He’s clearly enjoying being on the roll call. It would be a shame to see him on the playing list after a year.
The problem with the Nationals and the 15-year, $440 million offer they made a few years ago, other than the fact that it ended up being quite small – an average annual salary of $29.3 million – was that he didn’t know who owned the team (the Nationals were for sale at the time) and he didn’t know what direction the team was going in (he was right to worry about that, as it predictably went downhill, like all teams).
The Yankees obviously have a lot of money. Their revenues are the highest in baseball and growing, with tens of millions of dollars in profits rolling off the books. And most importantly, they understand the value of branding, which is why Steinbrenner made sure the great Aaron Judge kept wearing pinstripes.
Of course, strange things happen in free agency.
The well-funded Mets seem like a threat.
The unfortunate Blue Jays need to do something about it.
The Dodgers are in town for the biggest game of the season, typically sparing no expense and always looking to win.
The Phillies are also eager to win.
Soto is said to be looking for a stable organization and we all know he wants to win, so where could he be better off than here?
Fans are already saying they gave him the biggest cheer every day for $360 million after Judge, the home-grown superstar who turned down bigger paydays from other teams. After more than two months, second place is pretty good.
Fans were also collectively anxious on Friday, showing how much they missed Soto. My guess is they were more worried than Soto himself. Manager Aaron Boone wasn’t impressed.
“He’s a really cool customer,” Boone said.
He’s also a once-in-a-decade talent who transformed the Yankees’ lineup after a losing season in 2023, when they once again became the Bronx Bombers.
I don’t know if it’s all down to him, but it’s probably no coincidence that so much good has happened since he’s been here. Their 45-19 start to the season has been nothing short of magical.
Alex Verdugo seems rejuvenated playing for his former team’s biggest rival, Long Island native Marcus Stroman is nostalgic pitching for the team he rooted for as a kid, Luke Weaver is phenomenal, and yes, Brian Cashman had a great winter.
Nearly everything is going well, most of all, of course, with Soto, who has helped transform a lineup that looked like it was faltering last year.
Soto and Judge are probably the favorites for AL MVP together (I’m just guessing, since I don’t go on the betting page). Comparisons to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig may be a bit of a stretch after just 10 weeks of playing together, but if Soto steps up to the plate in front of Judge for years to come, you can imagine something special happening.
