BREAKING NEWS: Yankees open to extend key man contract

Since joining the New York Yankees, Juan Soto has made a strong case for his future with the team. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner recently expressed his desire to see the three-time All-Star remain in pinstripes “for the rest of his life.”

In a recent YES Network podcast, Steinbrenner discussed the possibility of extending Soto’s contract despite typically avoiding mid-season deals. “His agent, Scott [Boras], doesn’t tend to normally do deals in the middle of a season. Neither do I. I think it can be a distraction. But as I said in spring training when I met with [the media], this is a unique situation and a very unique player. So, I wouldn’t be shocked if there was a conversation or two had possibly during the course of the season,” Steinbrenner said (H/T Bryan Hoch, MLB.com).

Soto has been impressive, slashing .310/.408/.530 with a .938 OPS, accumulating 52 hits and 34 RBIs. Steinbrenner acknowledged the importance of ensuring Soto sees himself in New York for the long term. “I think it’s worth doing at some point,” Steinbrenner added. “I wanted to give Juan time to really settle in, have a conversation with him at some point and make sure that obviously the most important thing is, is this a place he can see himself for a long time?”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman previously referred to Soto as a generational talent and initially viewed the trade as a one-year arrangement. However, with Soto’s performance and integration into the team, this perspective seems to be evolving.

“He’s the complete package,” Steinbrenner said. “I had no doubts he would perform here under pressure; zero doubts with that. I was curious to see how he’d interact with the fans, how he would interact with the media, and of course how he would interact with the rest of the players, and it’s just been great, great and great on those three things. … We’ve seen the animated side of him as well. He’s fun to watch.”

Soto’s all-around impact and positive presence both on and off the field make him a valuable asset, and the Yankees appear committed to exploring a long-term relationship with the star outfielder.