This years MLB Winter Meetings was perhaps one of the quietest in the history of the event, but on the last day we saw a major splash, as the Yankees acquired superstar Juan Soto in a blockbuster deal with the San Diego Padres.
The outfielder, who is considered by many to be one of the most accomplished young hitters of this generation and a modern day Ted Williams, brings an immediate boost to New York.
With his sweet left-handed stroke, Soto will be a terrific fit with Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field, and he’ll help form one of the most feared duo’s in the game alongside fellow star outfielder Aaron Judge.
Speaking via Zoom for the first time since the move, Soto told reporters Tuesday that he’s looking forward to his latest opportunity.
“When I received the call I was actually playing Nintendo with my friends. The call came in from the GM of the Padres and he told me the news and it was just a lot of good and bad emotions in that time,” he said.
“But at the same time, I felt like I was coming into a great organization…It’s great to be here in the spotlight that I am. It’s really exciting to see this organization and to be part of it for the next season, I’m really happy to join the team.”
Soto said some of his new teammates such as Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, and Gerrit Cole have already reached out to him and he’s looking forward to getting to camp to get to know them.
The 25-year-old will certainly be a welcomed addition to the clubhouse as he’s been one of the premier talents in the game since making his debut back in 2018 with the Nationals.
Soto’s finished in the top-10 in MVP voting five times, is a three-time National League All-Star and has won the Silver Slugger four different times. He also has a World Series championship under his belt, which came in just his second year in the league as a 20-year-old.
While he’s only been to the postseason once since then, the superstar’s numbers have remained relatively consistent.
Now in New York, on a bigger stage with extremely high expectations, Soto says he’s ready to do whatever it takes to help the Yankees get back to the playoffs after an extremely disappointing campaign.
“All I care about is winning,” he said. “I come to the field thinking about winning every day and that’s what I want to do. I got a little taste of it in 2019, winning the World Series and everything, and it was a great feeling and I want to try to do it again.
“I’m just trying to…