Juan Soto is excited about joining the New York Yankees, but he wouldn’t discuss signing an extension with his new team during his introductory press conference Tuesday.
“They know where to call and who to talk to,” the three-time All-Star said, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
Soto is eligible for free agency at the end of this season, which will be his first in New York after it acquired him and fellow outfielder Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres for five players on Dec. 6. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, has a reputation for avoiding extensions for his players so they can test free agency.
Instead of discussing his Yankees future beyond 2024, Soto opted to focus on the upcoming campaign, where he said his sights are set on helping the Bronx Bombers win their first World Series since 2009.
“Just come over, try to play good ball, try to do my job, and try to help the team win as much as we can,” Soto said, according to YES Network.
“I’m going to be positive, bring energy every day, that’s what I bring to the table. Everybody knows about the numbers and everything, but I think my main thing is just bring the energy, give those guys a good vibe to support each other and try to win a championship.”
The 25-year-old mentioned how thrilled he is to join a Yankees lineup including Giancarlo Stanton and team captain Aaron Judge, who he said was one of the first people to call him after the trade.
“I’m more than excited to get there and see how big Aaron Judge and Stanton are, it’s going to be pretty cool,” Soto said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to right now. To just get comfortable on the team, watch how it’s going to be, and grow from it.”
Soto spent the past season-and-a-half with the Padres, where he slashed .265/.405/.488 with 41 home runs, 40 doubles, 125 RBIs, and 176 walks in 214 games.
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