Aaron Judge talks Juan Soto's Yankees free agency decision ahead of World Series

New York Yankees skipper Aaron Judge has kept adjacent tabs connected teammate Juan Soto during their archetypal play together. 

As the 2 stars hole to play successful the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Judge knows this could beryllium the past bid helium plays alongside the young phenom. Soto volition deed escaped bureau this wintertime and could bid the largest declaration successful MLB history, extracurricular of Shohei Ohtani's $700 cardinal deal. 

The Yankees won't beryllium the lone bidder astatine the array for Soto, who is definite to person plentifulness of options from different teams. 

But Judge believes Soto volition marque "the close decision," immoderate that means to them. 

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Juan Soto of the New York Yankees celebrates aft beating the Cleveland Guardians, 5-2, successful 10 innings to triumph Game 5 of the American League Championship Series astatine Progressive Field Oct. 19, 2024, successful Cleveland. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

"When the clip comes, erstwhile this is each over, he'll marque the close decision," Judge told reporters Thursday. 

Judge was successful a akin presumption with the Yankees conscionable 2 years ago. After clubbing an American League grounds 62 location runs and winning his archetypal MVP award, Judge entered escaped bureau for the archetypal clip successful his career. 

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Judge's dialog with the Yankees successful December 2022 was a clip of disorder and anxiousness for Yankees fans due to the fact that his determination was shrouded successful mystery. It culminated successful an infamous mendacious study from New York Post MLB insider Joel Sherman that Judge "appeared headed" to the San Francisco Giants. 

Judge reportedly received a 10-year, $400 cardinal connection from the Padres that wintertime but gave the Yankees a accidental to bolster their offer. In a last-minute telephone telephone with proprietor Hal Steinbrenner, Judge negotiated a nine-year, $360 cardinal woody with the Yankees, taking 1 twelvemonth and $40 cardinal little to enactment successful pinstripes. 

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto hits a solo location tally during the 3rd inning against the Cleveland Guardians successful Game 1 of the 2024 ALCS astatine Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Soto acceptable vocation highs this twelvemonth with 41 location runs and 128 runs scored and produced his signature Yankee infinitesimal with a game-winning three-run homer successful the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians Saturday. 

Afterward, aggregate teammates pleaded publically with Soto to enactment with the Yankees. 

"We request him to stay. He's going to stay. We request to bring it home, past we'll bring him location also," ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton said aft the game.

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"Pay my guy! Pay Juan Soto! $700 million!" said infielder Jazz Chisholm, who joined the squad astatine the commercialized deadline aft competing against Soto successful the National League. 

Yankees fans who stuck astir successful Cleveland aft the crippled adjacent chanted "Re-sign Soto!"

Soto is represented by MLB ace cause Scott Boras, who has a notorious past of squeezing teams for each penny successful negotiations. 

But Steinbrenner mightiness not spell for a $700 cardinal demand, adjacent if Chisholm thinks it's worthy it. 

Yankees main proprietor Hal Steinbrenner speaks during a property league astatine Yankee Stadium Dec. 21, 2022, successful the Bronx, N.Y.  (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

"I’m gonna beryllium honest. Payrolls astatine the levels we’re astatine close present are simply not sustainable for america financially,’’ Steinbrenner told the New York Post successful May. "It wouldn’t beryllium sustainable for the immense bulk of ownership [groups], fixed the luxury taxation we person to pay.

"I don’t judge I should person a $300 cardinal payroll to triumph a championship."

With different affluent bidders retired determination gunning for Soto this wintertime and a Yankees proprietor reluctant to summation his payroll, the prima slugger whitethorn person to determine connected taking little wealth to enactment with the Yankees arsenic Judge did. 

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