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MLB Free Agency: Juan Soto’s ‘Last Moment’ in Yankees Dugout Goes Viral
Colin Lynch covers the NFL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the New England Patriots. His sports coverage has been featured on The Sports Daily and Basketball Insiders, as well as FanSided's Chowder & Champions. A New Hampshire native and former D1 baseball player at St. John's University, Colin was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2008 and enjoyed a four-year professional baseball career.
Get to know Colin Lynch betterPublished4 hours ago on October 31, 2024
Juan Soto’s last moments in a Yankee dugout in 2024 have gone viral, with his massive free agency looming.
It was quite a year for Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, who’s made himself right at home in the Bronx just over a year after arriving from San Diego. Soto’s season was a masterclass: a .288 average, a .415 on-base percentage, and a .569 slugging mark. Yankee Stadium became his stage, where he launched 41 home runs, though he was every bit as lethal on the road, tallying 21 more away from home.
In the postseason, Soto was unflinching. While Aaron Judge’s ups and downs stole many of the headlines, Soto’s performance was unwavering. He hit .327, posted a 1.102 OPS, and belted four homers over 14 playoff games, providing the Yankees with a dependable force amid their October quest.
Yet, the Yankees’ unraveling in Game 5 of the World Series brought an end not only to the 2024 season but, perhaps, to Soto’s time in pinstripes. As he heads toward one of the most anticipated free agencies in recent memory, fans couldn’t help but notice a quiet, poignant moment as the Dodgers celebrated their title. While his teammates had long retreated to the clubhouse, Soto lingered in the dugout, his gaze fixed on the night sky as if searching for answers — or simply saying goodbye.
Juan Soto was the last player to leave the dugout, pointing to the sky in thanks before departing. Was this his last moment in a Yankees uniform? pic.twitter.com/8lnvw15wvs
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 31, 2024
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Juan Soto Wasted No Time Discussing His Impending Free Agency
It was fittingly past midnight on Halloween when Juan Soto finally spoke about his looming free agency. Yankee fan’s worst nightmare would be watching Soto in another uniform in 2025.
That prospect feels closer now than it did when the Yankees arrived at the stadium just hours earlier. As the dust settled from their World Series loss to the Dodgers, Soto’s words lingered, describing New York in an unsettling way, like a farewell. The young star, still only 25, steps into free agency as one of the most coveted hitters of his generation. His next contract could match Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking $700 million deal, inked just last year with these same Dodgers. And while Ohtani’s dual-role talent has him returning to the mound soon, Soto’s pure hitting skill and youth make him a singular prize.
“Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard,” Soto told reporters. “Definitely, this place was very special. It’s been a blast for me. I’ve been really happy. Definitely, if I’m here or not, I’ll be really happy for the things that happened and the people that I got to know in here. This was a really special group. But at the end of the day, we will see what’s going to happen.”
Juan Soto on if it'd be tough to leave the Yankees:
"Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard. This place was really special. It's been a blast for me. I've been really happy. This was a really special group" pic.twitter.com/WU3ogS8xMf
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 31, 2024
Estimates place Soto’s range between $500 million and Ohtani’s historic deal, but the question is whether the Yankees are willing to meet that mark. If they don’t, this Halloween may indeed have been a prelude to a Bronx nightmare.
