Yankees' Cashman: 'I Don't See Too Many Things Stopping' Juan Soto from Free Agency

Juan Soto might be a one-year rental for the New York Yankees.

The team's general manager and senior vice president, Brian Cashman, acknowledged while speaking to reporters on Thursday that "the odds are this is a one-year situation" with the recently acquired star outfielder.

"I don't see too many things stopping him from reaching free agency," he added.

That doesn't preclude the Yankees from re-signing Soto a year from now when he hits the open market, of course. Aaron Judge returned to the team last winter on a nine-year, $360 million deal after flirting with free agency.

But it does mean that the Yankees won't get any assurances ahead of time that the assets they gave up to acquire Soto and Trent Grisham—pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka—will ensure anything more than a one-year rental.

The Yankees rebuilt their outfield this offseason, adding Soto, Grisham and Alex Verdugo to join Judge. They also signed Marcus Stroman to join a rotation that already includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortés and Clarke Schmidt.

For a team that finished a disappointing 82-80 last season and missed the postseason, they were much-needed additions.

"It seems like it was a really focused plan," Cole told reporters. "We added three left-handed bats who acquired 500 or more plate appearances in the past three years, which everyone kind of identified as something we should improve on. We also added great defense and great pitching. You can never have enough good players and that's why it's special to be a Yankee. That's the M.O. every offseason—to continue to get better."

And those rebuilding efforts may not be done just yet:

As for Soto, the 25-year-old will be the biggest free agent on the market next winter. The three-time All-Star and 2019 World Series champion hit .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBI, 97 runs, 12 stolen bases and a .930 OPS. He was one of the few bright spots for a San Diego Padres team that underachieved massively last season and decided to cut some payroll heading into 2024.

The Yankees took a big swing acquiring Soto with just one year of club control, though if the team wins a World Series, it will all be worthwhile for most fans regardless of his decision in free agency. Cashman and the Yankees are clearly bracing themselves for the possibility of a short relationship.