Juan Soto Met With Yankees Owner Hal Steinbrenner in July amid MLB Contract Rumors

New York Yankees star Juan Soto revealed that he met with club owner Hal Steinbrenner in July, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

"It was good to get to know the owner," Soto said. "Get to see what he's thinking about me and everything."

The 25-year-old is in line to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2024 season, and the outfielder is expected to be one of the most coveted players on the market.

New York acquired Soto in a massive trade with the San Diego Padres in Dec. 2023.

The Yankees rank No. 3 among all MLB teams with a $302 million 2024 payroll, per FanGraphs. Steinbrenner acknowledged in May that maintaining the current payroll likely won't be possible.

"I'm gonna be honest, payrolls at the levels we're at right now are simply not sustainable for us financially," he said, via Dan Martin of the New York Post. "It wouldn't be sustainable for the vast majority of ownership [groups], given the luxury tax we have to pay."

ESPN's Jorge Castillo reported on July 15 that the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals are expected to be interested in Soto.

Still, the Yankees could be more inclined to hand Soto a long-term deal given his immense success next to Aaron Judge in New York's lineup throughout the season. He's currently hitting .288 and has already recorded a career-high 41 home runs. Soto has also racked up 31 doubles and 108 RBIs to go along with a .990 OPS.

Given the reported meeting between him and Steinbrenner, there may be some traction towards a potential return in free agency.

Soto has helped the Yankees earn their second division crown in the past three seasons. New York currently sits at 93-66, the top record in the American League.