Yankees Legend Says Juan Soto Should Follow His Path, Re-Sign With New York

One of the biggest storylines that surrounds the New York Yankees this year is what will happen with star outfielder Juan Soto. After acquiring him from the San Diego Padres over the offseason in a blockbuster trade, New York has looked at Soto as a long-term piece to the puzzle. He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season but has shown at least some level of interest in potentially extending with the Yankees before the offseason.

Read more: Juan Soto Responds to Yankees Owner Wanting to Keep Him in New York Long Term

Soto is in line to receive one of the largest free agent deals in the history of sports so it makes sense for him to wait until the winter. But if the Yankees were to come to him with an offer he couldn’t refuse, he would at least consider it. Soto has spoken about how happy he is in New York and how his time with the team has been even better than he could hav expected.

“This is more than what I expected,” Soto said. “It’s been unbelievable so far.”

The Yankees are one of the few organizations in all of sports that truly has a championship-or-bust mentality each season. With this, star players are needed and Soto certainly fits the bill. New York has a long line of stars throughout its history and one Yankees legend believes that it’s in the best interest of Soto to stay in New York long-term.

Former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez spoke about Soto and encouraged him to stay with the team in a similar manner that he did.

“I went to Scott Boras and said, ‘I’m gonna take less to stay in New York.’ I had two other teams that wanted to give me more years and more money, and I said, ‘No way. I’d rather be a Yankee. I’d rather be a champion,'” Rodriguez said. “There’s no better place in the planet for (Soto) to play than in New York.”

Rodriguez knows a thing or two about winning in New York, having won the World Series with the organization in 2009. If Soto were to stay with the Yankees long-term, it could help his brand grow even more. He is just 25 years old so he has plenty of time left in his career. But winning with the Yankees would put him on a pedestal that only a handful of stars have achieved, especially in recent memory.

For Soto, it’s simple. He can stay in New York with a franchise that he knows will always strive to win championships or he can follow the money elsewhere. With him enjoying himself so far during his short Yankees tenure, it would make all the sense in the world to stay. The team is one of the best in baseball this season and he will surely receive a massive contract from the Yankees if he elects to stay.