"Yankees are willing to pay Juan Soto $40,000,000" - MLB sportscaster raises eyebrows at Hal Steinbrenner's big offer surpassing Aaron Judge's deal

MLB All-Star Juan Soto's free agency has gripped the offseason, as several teams line up to secure the services of the Dominican slugger after his career-best season with the New York Yankees in 2024.

The Yankees are one of the teams heavily linked with Soto after his one season with the franchise. The Bronx Bombers are one of the reported teams to have met with the former World Series winner in the offseason.

As per reports, the Yankees are willing to play Soto $40 million a year to secure his return to the Bronx. While Yankees fans are keen on the deal, MLB sportscaster Lee Hacksaw questioned the deal on his podcast. He said (0:50):

"They're willing to pay Juan Soto $40,000,000 per year over an extended contract. They're not willing to go beyond that because that badly impacts their ability to go get other free agents because Hal Steinbrenner does not want to get back into this massive luxury tax thing."

Hacksaw raised eyebrows on the Yankees reportedly offering Soto a more lucrative deal than they did to captain Aaron Judge in 2022.

"Steinbrenner though, has to answer the question. Are you going to give Soto more than you've given Aaron Judge? Soto has only been there one year and Judge had three straight 50+ home run seasons and has become an icon and a really big citizen in doing stuff in the Big Apple in the community. So you're gonna give Soto more than Judge and Soto's only been there for a baseball season? Interesting."

The Yankees signed Aaron Judge to a $360 million, nine-year contract, after he hd elected free agency in 2022. Judge's offer was on the back of a record-setting year for the Yankees, where he set an AL record with 62 home runs in a season. He came close to matching his record this past season, racking up 58 home runs, which earned him a second AL MVP title.

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Aaron Judge not bothered by Yankees offering Juan Soto bigger contract in free agency

Although Lee Hacksaw questioned the Yankees reportedly paying Juan Soto more than Aaron Judge, the latter has no problem with it.

“It ain’t my money. I really don’t care as long as we get the best players, we get the most that we can, I’m happy with whatever,” Judge said on Friday. “That’s never been something on my mind about who gets paid the most.”

Juan Soto, who finished third in the AL MVP voting, behind Judge and Bobby Witt Jr., has reportedly met with the Yankees, Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox so far and is reportedly meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies next.