The Yankees’ season is over, so Juan Soto’s free agency is set to begin.
And if this was it for Soto as a Yankee, it ended in ugly fashion, as the Yankees suffered one of their worst losses in franchise history in a 7-6, season-ending defeat to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.
Asked if he considered that this might have been his last home game in The Bronx, Soto said, “You never know. We’ll see where we’re at. It’s definitely a tough game to be my last.”
That’s the next drama, as the 26-year-old star heads to free agency for the first time and he made clear again Wednesday night that the Yankees don’t have any advantage over any other team that pursues him.
“I feel every team has the same opportunity,” Soto said. “I don’t want to say anybody has an advantage.”
He’s repeated the same sentiment throughout his season with the Yankees and a trip to the World Series — the second of his career — didn’t change that.
“I don’t know all the teams that are after me, but I’m definitely open to listen,” Soto said. “I don’t have any doors closed. I’m available to all 30 teams.”
With Scott Boras as his agent, it’s clear Soto is interested in ending up with the highest bidder, but he also wants to win — something that he did with the Yankees.
In Game 5, Soto reached base four straight times and scored twice, but with the Yankees trailing by a run in the bottom of the eighth, he led off with a weak grounder to first as they failed to rally after the Dodgers took the lead in the top of the eighth.
His memorable go-ahead homer in the ALCS that helped send the Yankees to the World Series in Cleveland won’t soon be forgotten, but it wasn’t followed by a title.
Soto certainly would welcome a reunion, but it will only come at his — and agent Scott Boras’ — price.
“I hope he’s here forever,” Aaron Boone said, a sentiment shared all over the clubhouse. “But I also know I’m excited for him and what the next few months are for him.”
Throughout the year, there were chants of “Re-sign Soto” from the Stadium crowd and he often reacted to the fans’ serenading in right field.
There were none in the season-ending loss.
Asked if the response of the fans might influence him to stick around, Soto said with a grin, “Maybe it will impact the decision of ownership.”
Soto has only driven up his price tag during his season with the Yankees after arriving in a December trade from San Diego.
He followed up a regular season that included a career-high 41 homers with an impressive postseason that came to an end Wednesday.
It remains to be seen if his days of wearing pinstripes are over.
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Soto has never had an issue fitting in while in New York and has been a favorite from Opening Day until now.
Soto’s Game 5 started with a walk with one out in the bottom of the first, setting up Aaron Judge’s lone homer of the series, a two-run shot.
He walked again in the second and singled through the right side of the infield in the fourth, although the Yankees failed to score in either of those innings.
The right fielder drew another walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth and scored the go-ahead run on Giancarlo Stanton’s sacrifice fly.
But he wasn’t able to deliver in the eighth after the bullpen had given the lead up again.
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