DALLAS — The Yankees have no regrets in the face of their biggest offseason loss in recent memory.
I have no regrets about the decision to trade for Juan Soto ahead of a four-ball season.
Soto has no regrets, as he certainly seemed satisfied with a year that was hailed as an unusually happy clubhouse by everyone involved.
There are no regrets about Soto's meeting with agent Scott Boras in Southern California, and both parties say it went well.
He has no regrets that the escalating blind auction for Soto's services ended with an offer just $5 million short in total.
A day after the Mets won the tug-of-war for Soto, general manager Brian Cashman said during Monday's winter meetings that the bid “takes us to heights we never expected.” “Hal Steinbrenner worked really hard to find a way to keep Juan Soto. I'm really proud of his effort – it certainly exceeded my expectations.”
The Yankees believed they were in the best position to retain one of the most attractive free agents in baseball history, with the only exception being a World Series failure.
Cashman said Steinbrenner met with Soto in May or June to gauge his interest in signing a long-term contract early.
Soto requested free agency and declined.
Soto showed no signs of pressure or distraction during an entertaining season in which he finished third in AL MVP voting and was regularly serenaded by a love-struck Bronx crowd.
He bet on himself, turned down opportunities for long-term contracts with the Nationals, Padres, and now the Yankees, and won.
Follow The Post's coverage of Juan Soto's historic blockbuster deal with the Mets.
As the bidding began and intensified, the Yankees had no idea where they were.
They, the Mets, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers, continued to try to find a deal that Soto could agree to.
“You get some hints that you're short… and we kept trying to close the gap, but for a while you didn't know who was going to come after you,” Cashman said at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. He spoke from the club suite. “It was like Boston. Maybe it was Toronto. Maybe it was the Mets. I just didn't know.”
He said Cashman submitted the club's final offer to Boras around 9 or 10 a.m. Sunday.
The proposed agreement was “far beyond our comfort level,” he said.
he waited.
That night, he received a phone call from Boras, whom he feared.
“It's disappointing for sure,” Cashman said. Steinbrenner and team president Randy Levine then met to share the news. Soon after, manager Aaron Boone arrived in Dallas, checked his cell phone and thought, “Oh no.”
The Yankees lost out on a bid of $47.5 million per season, or $760 million over 16 years.
The Mets won with a final offer of $51 million per season and $765 million guaranteed over 15 years.
The Yankees had offered the richest contract in baseball history, $60 million more than the much-delayed contract for Shohei Ohtani, but it wasn't enough.
If they had increased the offer by $5 million, would Soto have become a Yankee?
“I don't know,” Cashman said. His club did not benefit from Soto's Bronx experience.
When the Yankees traded away several valuable chips, including Michael King and Drew Thorpe, to acquire a soon-to-be free agent superstar, they were hoping they could get a tiebreaker.
Soto has settled into the city, stadium and organization and appeared to be enjoying his time in pinstripes. Perhaps if an offer is forthcoming, the decision will be in the hands of the incumbent.
But Soto opted for the max contract with a $5 million difference, either because of that $5 million or because the Mets convinced him otherwise.
“Juan made the decision for Juan,” Cashman said of Soto, who has yet to speak publicly about his choice. “So what's the reason? I know we had a great experience with Juan Soto, not just performance-wise, but the way he interacted with his teammates in the clubhouse. I think I really liked playing for Aaron Boone. I think it was a great scenario.
“I don't know if we could have done anything different. Other than winning the World Series, it was a perfect development.”
