Yankees' Aaron Choose Says He Hasn't Spoken to Juan Soto amid MLB Free Company Talks

New York Yankees star Aaron Choose says he hasn’t spoken to Juan Soto since his former teammate hit free company following the Yankees’ World Sequence loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I have not talked to him in any respect,” Choose mentioned on Friday, per SNY. “I feel the very best factor is to actually give these guys house. I talked to him all season and he is aware of how we really feel about him.”

The Yankees are reportedly in competitors with different groups together with the Dodgers, New York Mets, Boston Pink Sox and Toronto Blue Jays to signal Soto this offseason.

Choose made it clear he would favor to have Soto within the batting lineup forward of him subsequent season.

“Having the prospect to have one hit in entrance of me, and I get to see quite a lot of pitches, he will be a troublesome at-bat in entrance of me. He’ll put on down the pitcher proper there within the first inning, throughout the first 15 pitches or so,” Choose mentioned about batting behind Soto in the course of the run to the World Sequence. “That was a huge impact, was having a man like that in entrance of you.

“If I might have eight Juan Sotos within the lineup with me, I’d love that.”

Judge re-signed with the Yankees in December 2022 on a $360 million, nine-year contract. At the time the deal marked the third-largest in MLB history.

Successful the bidding warfare for Soto might require the Yankees going nicely over that quantity, with the star hitter’s subsequent deal typically estimated to be someplace within the vary of $500 million over ten years.

Choose mentioned on Friday that Soto probably receiving more cash from the Yankees wouldn’t hassle him.

“It ain’t my cash, I actually do not care, so long as we get the very best gamers, we get essentially the most that we will, I am pleased with no matter,” Choose said. “That is by no means been one thing on my thoughts, about who will get paid essentially the most. It is simply, no matter we will do to get the very best gamers, I will take it. I feel that is what it comes all the way down to.

Choose named Giancarlo Stanton, who’s taking part in on the 13-year, $325 million take care of the Miami Marlins in 2014, for instance as to tips on how to handle teammates’ rising salaries.

“As soon as he got here right here, he did not care about being the highest-paid man. He simply wished good gamers round him,” Choose mentioned. “I feel you might ask everyone within the room, they sort of really feel the identical method.”

The Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Pink Sox and Blue Jays have all met with Soto in free company, and the Philadelphia Phillies are organising a gathering, per The Athletic’s Jim Bowden. Soto, who turned 26 in October and led the AL with 128 runs final 12 months, might probably meet with much more groups earlier than making his remaining free company choice.