The Yankees are never truly done in free agency, even after acquiring three-time All-Star Juan Soto in a trade.
He’ll join Aaron Judge in the outfield who said there could be more moves being made for the pinstripes.
“We’ve made some big moves the past couple of days and looking forward to making a couple more, but it’s gonna be a fun season, I think, for Yankee fans,” Judge told Fox5 New York.
He also talked about the acquisition of Soto.
“I’m excited,” Judge said. “We gave up quite a few pieces to get him, but he’s a generational talent. His track record, his stats speak for themselves. I think everybody in the Yankee universe is pretty excited to have him on board… We’ll have some fun.”
The San Diego Padres, who also gave up outfielder Trent Grisham in the deal, received right-handers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez, along with catcher Kyle Higashioka.
Soto’s coming off his third All-Star select season earning a Silver Sluggar Award after hitting .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs and 156 hits. He was also in National League MVP talks.
Both sides were aggressive in the deal before it came to fruition. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman even dubbed Soto as a “transformational bat.”
Not bad for a guy who has stellar bat-to-ball skills and is compared to the legendary Ted Williams.
Soto will be a free agent following the 2024 season.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.