Juan Soto endorses Yankees' pursuit of former teammate

Juan Soto has joined the chorus of people pushing the New York Yankees to make one more significant move.

Soto endorsed a potential pursuit of pitcher Blake Snell and was enthusiastic about pairing him with Gerrit Cole at the front of the team’s rotation. While Soto did not have any inside information about Snell possibly joining, he was all in favor of the idea.

“It would be unbelievable to have two Cy Young winners going back-to-back. It’d be great,” Soto told Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “He’s a great guy, a great player. Any help that we can get I would love. I know if he’s coming over, he’s going to help the team big-time. It’s always great to have great talent on the team. I would never say no. So it’s a great fit for him, I think.”

The issue with Snell from the Yankees’ perspective is purely financial. The reigning NL Cy Young winner has been demanding a big contract all offseason and the Yankees, who are already facing a luxury tax bill, are reluctant to pay it. They have not shut the door on it, at least publicly, but reports suggest something would have to change for them to make that type of financial commitment.

Snell and Soto spent a season and a half together in San Diego. The 2023 campaign was Snell’s best, as he posted a league-leading 2.25 ERA.