The Yankees came away from a meeting with Juan Soto on Monday feeling positive about their chances of signing the slugger to a long-term contract, according to an industry source. The hours-long face-to-face meeting left owner Hal Steinbrenner and his brain trust “encouraged” by Soto’s desire to remain in pinstripes. Although no offer was made, the club believes the door is open to a second, dollars-driven negotiation with Soto in the coming weeks.

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE YANKEES NEWSLETTER:RESTORING THE GLORYSteinbrenner was joined at the meeting by team president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and senior advisor Omar Minaya. Each member of the hierarchy had an opportunity to address Soto directly, emphasizing the strong relationship the slugger has with his Yankees teammates, the fans and the city at large. With agent Scott Boras sitting next to him, Soto expressed his feelings about the Yankees’ future.

He wanted confirmation from Steinbrenner about a continuing commitment to excellence. Soto also pointed out where the Bombers need to improve. He heard Steinbrenner say there will be upgrades in next year’s roster, although it’s unknown who the Yankees are specifically targeting.

Mostly, the conversation dealt in abstracts. The Yankees wanted to gauge how Soto felt about his experience in pinstripes in 2024. Despite an ever-growing number of suitors, which now includes the Phillies, the Yankees want to believe they’re ahead of the pack.

“It’s about the money, but not just the money,” said one insider. That was the centerpiece of the Yankees’ sale pitch, reminding Soto they took him to the World Series (although it was more like the other way around). He enjoyed a summer with likely MVP-winner Aaron Judge.

And Soto was immensely popular with the ticket buyers and Bleacher Creatures in particular. The challenge, of course, is matching that argument with enough cash to keep Soto away from the Mets. One report circulating on social media claims Soto has already received a whopping $660 million offer from owner Steve Cohen.

Steinbrenner seems undeterred. He’s believed to be “100 percent committed” to being competitive with Cohen, according to one person familiar with the owner’s thinking. Other teams making runs at Soto include the Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays, as well as the Mets and Phillies.

Boras will complete his initial round of talks before Thanksgiving. It likely won’t take long for a decision after that. One industry source believes the slugger will pick his team by the first or second week of December, which coincides with the Winter Meetings in Dallas.

The industry-wide conference will run from Dec. 9-12 – a perfect setting for Boras to unveil Soto, his new club, and what he hopes will be a record-setting contract. That’s the ideal stage for Soto, who loves the attention.

That’s one factor driving the Yankees’ interest in him. Unlike other free agents of the past, the Bombers already know Soto can handle big-market pressure. He’s not Joey Gallo.

He‘s not Aaron Hicks. He’s not Josh Donaldson. What Soto separates from the others isn’t just talent, but a track record in the Bronx itself.

One executive, whose team is not involved in pursuing Soto, said, “I’ve seen a lot of really good players who realize they’re not comfortable in that (New York) market. But by then it’s too late. ”The Mets can make a similar appeal to Soto’s fondness for the Big Apple.

They are, after all, only eight miles away with an equally passionate fan base. But the Yankees have a bigger following nationwide. They have fans everywhere on the road.

That’s a plus Steinbrenner will use to make Soto think long and hard about putting down roots on River Avenue. It’s too early to know if those arguments succeeded on Monday. But if first impressions mean anything, the Yankees are feeling awfully good right now.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.

com. This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.