Yankees GM Brian Cashman defends pursuit of Juan Soto after loss to Mets: 'Beyond our welfare'

Juan Soto isn’t leaving New York, but he’s not a Yankee either, as the 26-year-old slugger is reportedly heading to the Mets with the biggest contract in professional sports history.

Soto agreed to a 15-year, $765 million contract, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last offseason.

Without deferments like Ohtani, Soto is expected to make $51 million per year, and depending on what happens with his exit in five years, it could be $55 million per season.

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New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto celebrates his solo home run in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 2 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2024. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

But while all is well in Queens after Steve Cohen historically outbid the Yankees, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was asked about his and owner Hal Steinbrenner’s pursuit of Soto, which was a very competitive offer.

The Yankees reportedly offered Soto $760 million over 16 years with no deferment, the same as the Mets. And Cashman said at the MLB winter meetings on Monday that this is “beyond our comfort level,” according to MLB.com.

WHAT THE YANKEES OFFERED JUAN SOTO BEFORE HE SIGNED WITH THE METS

“This is not a deal we regret,” Cashman said, adding that he understands that Soto may have always been a do-nothing player after being traded for him last offseason. “It hit us hard. I’m just sorry we came up short in the World Series.”

“There are a lot of different ways to figure it out,” Cashman said of adding talent not named Soto to reach the World Series again in 2025.

The question now is what the Yankees have in store for their “Plan B” or life without Soto.

MLB.com reported that the Yankees had “virtual discussions” with top free agent starters Max Fried and Corbin Burnes. Starting pitching is always something World Series contenders want to improve. A prime example of this is that the Dodgers already acquire Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

Even before Soto’s selection was announced, the Yankees were expected to be involved in infield upgrades, particularly at first base, while another outfielder was also considered.

Juan Soto (Brad Penner-Imagn images/file)

Options at both infielder and outfielder include Teoscar Hernandez, Cody Bellinger, Anthony Santander, Alex Bregman and former Met Pete Alonso.

Cashman & Co. need to move on quickly so they don’t miss out on other top talent, but the franchise and its fan base never wanted to contemplate a world where Soto wouldn’t be part of the 2025 roster and beyond.

He had a career year in his only season in the Bronx, hitting a career-high 41 home runs with 109 RBI and a .288 average and .419 on-base percentage with AL MVP Aaron Judge in the lineup.

Soto’s efforts, which led to an abundance of “Re-sign Soto!” chants from fans during the 2024 season, played a large role in the team’s first World Series appearance since 2009. They couldn’t beat the Dodgers, but it was expected , that the Yankees would do everything in their power to bring him back, however deadly the combination of Soto and Judge was in the lineup.