The Yankees have been a team often connected to a Juan Soto trade, but making that deal would reportedly mean choosing him over one of their superstars.
From the moment that it was reported that a Juan Soto trade was on the table, the New York Yankees entered the conversation. Brian Cashman has never been shy about being aggressive on the trade market and the chance to get a 23-year-old superstar from the Nationals is something that would be too good for him to not kick the tires on.
As the trade landscape starts to become more fully formed ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline, though, we’re starting to learn more about what a Soto trade could look like. More importantly for the Yankees, we’re starting to learn what it could mean for their future plans.
Namely, reports indicate that the decision to trade for Soto could be a huge determining factor in the future of Aaron Judge in pinstripes.
Yankees rumors: Juan Soto trade would mean choosing him over Aaron Judge
SNY MLB insider Andy Martino noted on Friday that it’s unlikely that the Yankees would pay both Soto and Judge as both are looking for new contracts and the latter hitting the open market in free agency this offseason if he doesn’t reach a deal with New York.
Martino’s assertion and what he believes given his knowledge of the team is that Soto, at just 23 years old and with his prodigious talent, would be a better investment for New York than it would be to not make the trade and to sign Judge.
That’s highly intriguing considering that Judge remains a leading AL MVP candidate at the moment. Even with the talent Soto possesses and future ahead of him, letting an MVP candidate walk in free agency would be a tough move for fans to swallow.
At the same time, it would also be a move that any team that would miss on a Soto trade would be thankful for as they would have the chance to land a star again in the 2023 offseason should Martino’s assessment of the situation come to pass.