NEW YORK — If New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has trouble closing the deal with star Juan Soto this offseason, he could call in the closer.
Yankees legend and Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera knows just what he’d tell the slugging free-agent-to-be.
“If I had to tell Juan Soto to be a Yankee for life, it wouldn’t take me much to say,” he told The Athletic before a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
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“It is what it is. To me, the Yankees are the Yankees. It’s a special place. It’s second to none. He knows. I think playing here, experiencing this, he knows about it. … If he approached me or if the question was asked, I would definitely say that.”
Rivera, 54, spent about an hour on the field, talking with fans, signing autographs and taking in Yankees pregame batting practice. The Panama native wasn’t the only pinstriped luminary in the house. Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter was joined by Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz for Fox’s broadcast. Rivera also spent some time chatting with current Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Mariano Rivera and Anthony Volpe pic.twitter.com/a3g7WebQTA
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) June 8, 2024
Rivera, whose 652 career saves are the most all time, won five World Series rings over his 19 years with the Yankees. He said he’s thankful to have spent his entire career with the organization.
“Listen,” he said, “playing for the New York Yankees and being part of the New York Yankees — it’s something unique. It’s something special that you have to experience, that you have to be around. Then the rest is history.”
Soto could make the Bronx his home for the rest of his career — if he wants.
The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native figures to have plenty of teams falling over themselves to pay him hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2022, Soto rejected the Washington Nationals’ offer of a $440 million, 15-year contract, The Athletic reported at the time. The Nationals then sent him to the San Diego Padres, who traded him to the Yankees this offseason.
It’s unclear exactly how much Soto could command, but he’s been one of the best hitters before age 26 in MLB history. He’s also improved his defense, though playing with Yankee Stadium’s right-field short porch behind him likely has helped.
In May, Steinbrenner told reporters that he wouldn’t be “shocked” if the Yankees and Soto at least discussed the possibility of a contract extension at some point during the regular season. An extension, however, seems unlikely since his agent, Scott Boras, has a history of working to get top dollar for his clients via the free agent market and because the Yankees rarely do contract extensions. The Yankees last talked contract extension with Aaron Judge in 2022, but it didn’t work out, though the sides agreed later that winter on a nine-year, $360 million pact.
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Soto was out of the Yankees’ starting lineup for the second straight day Saturday as the team monitors his sore forearm on his left (throwing) arm. An MRI revealed inflammation in his forearm but no structural damage in his elbow Friday. Soto was pulled during a rain delay in Thursday’s win over the Minnesota Twins and then told reporters he had been dealing with pain in his forearm for more than a week. Saturday, manager Aaron Boone said he was still hopeful that Soto could avoid the injured list, but he didn’t appear on the field for any pregame workouts. Boone said he was at least slated to receive treatment.
It seems likely Soto’s injury will soon be behind him. But Rivera doesn’t want Soto to put the Bronx in his rearview mirror anytime soon.
Will Soto choose to stay with the Yankees for the rest of his career?
“I hope so,” Rivera said. “And I hope the Yankees want him, too.”
(Photo of Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera from before Saturday’s game between the Yankees and Dodgers: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)