Aaron Judge's presence might influence Juan Soto’s free agency decision, says MLB analyst

Juan Soto is undoubtedly going to have an all-out bidding war for his services this offseason. He's in the midst of a thrilling campaign with MVP eligibility, all in the final year of his contract. When the time comes, there will be multiple factors that influence his decision.

SNY analyst Dave Lennon believes two things might be important: Aaron Judge and money. Those are two things the the New York Yankees have, and it might make the difference. They won't be alone in this free agency frenzy, but they might have a few important advantages.

Lennon said (0:44):

"The money's going to be there wherever. I have to think that hitting next to Judge has to be an attraction there. If the money is all similar, I mean he's not having a career year for nothing, and Judge is a big help to that I think."

Most teams have the money to try and sign Soto, but they don't have an MVP-caliber player like Judge to pair with him. It seemingly gives the Yanks a leg up in this fight.

SNY analyst Jim Duquette noted that quite a few teams will be involved though. He mentioned the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and even the Washington Nationals.

---

Juan Soto details most important aspect of next team

Juan Soto will theoretically be able to sign wherever he wants next year. A few teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers might not be as flexible to sign such a player, but most teams would be.

Where will Juan Soto go next? (Imagn)

Those teams will not all have equal chances of signing the superstar outfielder. Being competitive year in and year out is important for a team, something that wasn't the case with either the Washington Nationals or San Diego Padres.

Soto said, via Bleacher Repor, that what matters to him is the team's prospects:

"Being in a place where we can win a couple of championships, and even if we don't, just being in the race every year. I think that's the biggest thing for me."

That's another thing the Yankees seemingly have an advantage in as they're routinely a playoff team. They had a down year last year but are in the pennant race once more with Soto at the top of their lineup, alongside Judge and company.