Evan: Yankees, Hal Steinbrenner have no excuse to not be highest Juan Soto bidder
Earlier this week, Evan made the declaration that the Mets and Steve Cohen have to sign Juan Soto this winter, no excuses.
On Thursday, he made an identical declaration for the Yankees.
Cohen may be the richest owner in baseball, but the Yankees are the most valuable franchise in the sport, and Evan says Hal Steinbrenner has to act like it, and do whatever it takes to not be outbid by his team’s crosstown foe.
“They can’t lose him,” Evan said. “There is no amount of money that will scare me off, and there is no amount of years that will scare me off.
“If you are Hal Steinbrenner and running the New York bleeping Yankees…you can tell me the years and the money, there is no excuse if you are the freaking Yankees for getting outbid on Juan Soto.”
The Yankees got an up-close look at Soto in 2024, and he was every bit as advertised, hitting a career-high 41 home runs while providing the perfect protection for Aaron Judge, who hit 58 home runs and is on his way to a second MVP award. Soto went on to post an OPS over 1.000 in the playoffs while hitting one of the biggest home runs in recent franchise history, a game-winning three-run blast in the clinching game five of the ALCS.
Not to mention, Soto is only 26 years old, making him worth every penny in the eyes of Evan, who says the Yankees being outbid by any team for Soto’s services would be “unacceptable.” It’s time to be the Evil Empire and make sure that if Soto turns down a return to the Bronx, he will be turning down the highest offer.
“You’re the Yankees. Financially, this should not be an issue,” Evan said. “Other than Steve Cohen, all of those other owners will walk away at some point…if I’m Hal Steinbrenner and I run the Yankees and I traded for this gentleman a year ago, then I’m playing that same poker game where there is no amount of money - as absurd as it may get - where I would say ‘I’m tapping out.’
“I’m the Yankees, he’s my player, I traded for this player, and I know my avenue for winning a championship is a lot clearer with Juan Soto on my team.”
