Yankees slugger Juan Soto open to in-season contract talks

“I think we’d like to see him here for the rest of his career. I don’t think there’s any doubt of that,” Steinbrenner said. “His agent, Scott (Boras), doesn’t tend to do deals in the middle of a season. Neither do I. I think it can be a distraction. As I said in spring training, this is a unique situation and a very unique player. I wouldn’t be shocked if there was a conversation or two had possibly during the course of the season. I think it’s worth doing at some point.”

Soto was asked about that sentiment on Thursday and said the “door has always been open” to some kind of agreement.

“They know the phone number and everything," Soto said, via Dave Campbell of The Associated Press. "They know where to call. For me right here, I’m focusing on playing baseball. My thing is try to help the team win."

The biggest issue here is one Steinbrenner alluded to, that Scott Boras tends to take his clients to free agency, which Soto is eligible for at the end of the 2024 season. If Soto is adamant about playing for the Yankees, though, he could presumably tell Boras as much and instruct him to get a deal done.

Considering the type of contract Soto is said to be seeking, he would probably be well-served by trying to spark a bidding war on the open market. That could make any in-season extension an uphill climb for the Yankees.