New York Yankees Going Hard After Juan Soto: REPORT

The New York Yankees are doing their best to make a reunion happen with superstar free agent outfielder Juan Soto. 

Soto is expected to command a record-setting contract as a 26-year-old free agent with an impeccable track record. And after sitting down for meetings with a number of big market teams, Soto's team, lead by MLB super agent Scott Boras, asked those teams for their first offer.

While the process was expected to take several weeks, and go through multiple rounds of bidding, several teams have already upped their initial offers. First, the Boston Red Sox increased both the years and money they offered Soto.

READ: Contract Offers For Juan Soto Are In, And One Team's Already Upped Their Offer

Then on Wednesday afternoon, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported exclusively that the New York Yankees had also "upgraded" their first bid .

"The Yankees upgraded their initial bid within the past couple of days to superstar free agent outfielder Juan Soto," Heyman wrote. "Perhaps improving their position in a sweepstakes that involves at least five big-market teams, according to people familiar with the situation."

BRONX, N.Y. - New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates with center fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting his second home run of the game in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on May 22, 2024. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Juan Soto Contract Might Be Much Higher Than Previously Expected

The fact that two teams have already increased their initial offer tells you that the starting bid was higher than they'd expected.

Given that both the Yankees and Red Sox are highly motivated to add more talent to their 2025 rosters, that says a lot. It's also indicative that either the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers were extremely aggressive with their initial offers, or that they've decided against getting into a war to sign him.

With Mets owner Steve Cohen's deep pockets, that seems unlikely.

Whether the Yankees wind up with Soto remains to be seen, but at the very least they've shown their fans they're serious about bringing him back to pair with Judge for the rest of the decade. Then again, even after signing Blake Snell, the Dodgers have plenty of money to play with too.

Regardless, the Soto decision is expected by no later than the end of the Winter Meetings, which is just a few short weeks away. It's going to be a tough wait for both sets of New York baseball fans.