Hal Steinbrenner revealed what he knows and is willing to share.
Yankees owners, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, advisor Omar Minaya, and team president Randy Levine announced Monday that free agent star Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras will I visited.
The meeting was a “very honest, back-and-forth conversation” that lasted “several hours.”
Soto, who played last season in the Bronx and is familiar with the Yankees, had questions about the player development system, which he doesn't know much about and is a big factor in which teams win or lose. It becomes.
Steinbrenner revealed little else, or didn't know, during a highly pressured free agent hunt for the 26-year-old's generational slugger.
Steinbrenner said “I don't know” about Soto's wishes four times during the 14-minute scrum. He didn't promise Soto would end up with the Yankees, but said, “We'll be a part of it.”
Soto played in pinstripes all season and enjoyed his time as a Yankee by all accounts. Do clubs have an inherent advantage in sweepstakes?
To this, and nearly every query from the same ilk, the main suitors of Soto's services might be better off shrugging their shoulders.
“I don't know,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday in Midtown, where he attended an owners meeting. “All I know is that he earned this and he's going to go through the process.”
Known candidates include Steve Cohen's Mets, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Phillies. In current value terms, Soto's contract is expected to be the largest in sports history.
Although Mr. Steinbrenner's net worth dwarfs Mr. Cohen's, he is well aware of the stakes of the derby, which defines a club's offseason.
“We listen to our fans,” Steinbrenner said. “Our fans were really looking forward to him coming to New York. He's definitely a big part of why we made it to the World Series.
“I have ears. I know what's expected of me. That was my top priority, otherwise I wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast.”
