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On December 6, Juan Soto came to the New York Yankees as the headlining piece of the biggest trade of the offseason so far. While the team will undoubtedly benefit from his presence, some have questioned whether or not the 25-year-old will stay in town for long.
In 2023, Soto made $23 million as a member of the San Diego Padres. Now, with his contract up for salary arbitration in 2024, it is forecasted that the young Dominican will make $30 million in 2024. However, questions remain as to whether or not the Yankees will be able to match his financial requests.
With uncertainty abound, we turned to Google's Bard AI tool to get some answers. Surprisingly, Bard is bullish about Soto's future in the pinstripes, even going as far as to predict a long-term deal.
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Using his young age, as well as the financial resources of the New York Yankees, the AI tool predicted that Juan Soto would ink a long-term deal with the team. Even Yankees GM Brian Cashman admitted in his press conference after the trade that no such discussions of an extension have transpired.
In 2023, Soto had an excellent year for the San Diego Padres. In addition to hitting .275/.419/.510, the young star connected for a career-high 35 home runs, and his 132 walks led the league for the third time in his career.
"We are getting closer and closer. Manifesting the Yankee home run siren as Juan Soto rounds the bases." - The Yankees Network
Although Soto's bat will be a most welcomed addition to the Yankees, positional headaches may be in store for Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Soto was traded to the Yankees alongside fellow outfielder Trent Grisham. A day earlier, the Yankees acquired outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox. With outfielders like Jasson Dominguez, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton all in the mix, Boone certainly has his work cut out for him.
Juan Soto will force the Yankees to make the most of 2024
2023 saw the Yankees finish with a very mediocre 82-80 record, which was, coincidentally, the same record that Soto's Padres finished with. After having made such a big move, it is clear that the Yankees are focused on the present, and Juan Soto will be a big part of it.
Whether or not the AI is correct is an answer that only time can reveal.
