Calm down, everyone. Everything’s going to be all right, people.
At least for today, it is.
Juan Soto was diagnosed with only inflammation in his left forearm/elbow after a mid-day MRI exam, as The Post first reported. Soto is considered “day-to-day.” Even better, the city seems to have weathered its collective coronary.
It doesn’t take any fancy diagnostic to know the boroughs did not take well the news that Soto was experiencing forearm discomfort. Folks in area codes 212, 646, 516, 718, 201 and 914 were acting like the world was ending, or at least the season was on the brink.
Which brings us to the real issue here, and that is the Yankees and Soto have to figure a way to make this marriage a more permanent one.
It’s surely best for the Yankees if Soto stays. And it says here it is probably best for Soto, too. Maybe that’s the New Yorker in me talking, but is there somewhere else that fits this perfectly? Fuhgettaboutit!
I believe it’s preferable for both principles. But it’s becoming plainly clear it’s absolutely necessary for fans, who judging by their collective public agita over this MRI exam, well, they might not be able to take seeing him out of pinstripes next season.
Hal Steinbrenner smartly said aloud that he wants to make Soto a Yankee for life on a podcast with Jack Curry of YES, and in response, Soto answered appropriately that he’s always willing to listen. Steinbrenner even suggested he would like to try to work something out in-season. Steinbrenner’s heart is in the right place, but of course, that’s about as likely as Soto signing with the Miami Marlins.
No way he gives up free agency with mere months to go. Soto’s already turned down seven previous contract offers, and none of those came when he was on the cusp of free agency. Even so, it was nice to hear that Steinbrenner quickly understood how important Soto is (he didn’t need an injury scare to know, either).
Soto isn’t about to show his hand, so we don’t know for sure how he feels about staying. His teammates say he’s loving it here, and by all appearances that is the case. He obviously relishes the roll call of the bleacher people. It would be shame if, after the year, he wasn’t marked present.
One issue with the Nats and their $440 million, 15-year offer a couple years back, beyond a $29.3 million average annual salary that will turn out to be way light, is that he didn’t know who was going to own that team (the Nats were for sale back then) and he didn’t know the direction the team would take (he was right to be concerned about that, as they predictably took a turn south as other teams do).
The Yankees obviously have the loot. Their revenues are the highest in baseball and rising, they have tens of millions coming off the books, and most vitally, they understand the value of the brand. Which is why Steinbrenner made sure the great Aaron Judge stayed in pinstripes.
Of course, strange things happen in free agency.
The deep-pocketed Mets look like a threat.
The disappointing Jays need to do something.
The Dodgers, in town for the season’s most marquee matchup, are usually looking to spend, and always to win.
The Phillies also are fanatical about winning, too.
Soto is said to seek a stable organization, and you know he wants to win. So what better place for him than here?
The fans already speak every day when they give him the biggest cheers after Judge, the home-grown superstar who turned down the chance for more money elsewhere to stay for $360 million. Second best is pretty good after two-plus months.
Fans showed, too, how much they’d miss him with their collective anxiety Friday. An educated guess is they worried more than Soto himself. Aaron Boone didn’t sense much anxiety on his part.
“He’s a pretty cool customer,” Boone said.
He’s also a once-in-a-decade type talent who’s transformed a Yankees lineup. After a lost 2023 season, they are the Bronx Bombers again.
Not sure it’s all him, but it’s probably no coincidence only good things are happening since he got here. Things are nothing short of magical in this 45-19 start to the season.
Alex Verdugo seems rejuvenated playing for the chief rival of his former team. Long Islander Marcus Stroman looks at home pitching for the team he grew up rooting for. Luke Weaver is a revelation. Yes, Brian Cashman had quite a winter.
Almost everything is going right. And of course, the most right thing is Soto, who’s helped transform a lineup that looked moribund last year.
Soto and Judge are probably co-favorites for American League MVP. (I stay away from the betting pages, I’m just assuming.) The recent historical comparisons to Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are probably a little strong since it only has been 10 weeks together. But you can envision something special happening here if Soto stays here hitting in front of Judge the next many years.