New York Yankees free agent Juan Soto made one low-key comment after the World Series that could hint at his future

World Series - New York Yankees v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 2
World Series – New York Yankees v Los Angeles Dodgers – Game 2 / Steph Chambers/GettyImages

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto is expected to be the biggest name on the free agent market, and could receive a contract north of $600 million when all is said and done. The Yankees just lost Game 5 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now must retool for 2025 on the fly.

Soto did take questions about his free agency after the game. While he’s still reflecting on his season and the free-agency process, Soto’s been clear from the start that he intends to enter free agency this winter and sign with the highest bidder. Scott Boras is his agent, after all.

Juan Soto sounds like he’s ready to leave the Yankees

While Soto answered many of his questions in English, he was asked about his future in his native tongue as well. In Spanish, Soto spoke about his time with the Yankees in the past tense, and said that no matter what happens, he’ll always remember his time in the Bronx. That’s…not a great sign.

“We’ll see what happens. At the end of the day I’m very happy with all of my teammates I had here, all of the people who supported me this year, but at the end of the day we’ll see what happens,” Soto said. “Thanks to all of the people in New York, thanks to all of the fans in New York. They’ve been with me since Day 1 and I have to thank them. I’m very happy with everything they’ve done for me this year and in the end, no matter what happens, they’ll always be in my heart.”

Yankees are far from alone in the Juan Soto free agency chase

Soto’s top suitors are expected to be the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Blue Jays and Dodgers. There could be other high-payroll teams thrown into the mix as well, as this is likely to be a drawn-out process, as most Boras free-agency chases are.

The Mets are rumored to be the most aggressive suitor, as Steve Cohen has long flirted with the idea of spending a large sum of money on Soto. New York has a lot of money coming off the books this winter, and Cohen could use that flexibility to offer Soto the $600 million-plus contract he so desires. It also helps that the current iteration of the Mets pushed the Dodgers to six games in the NLCS – something the Yankees weren’t able to do in the World Series.