DALLAS — Now what?
The Yankees discovered Sunday evening that their final and finest supply — $760 million for 16 years — was not ok to convey Juan Soto again to The Bronx.
A participant most frequently in contrast with Ted Williams, presuming a declined or nullified opt-out, will spend his subsequent 15 seasons in Queens.
The Yankees have one fewer generational famous person and have many, many questions on their palms, comparable to:
Will they now repurpose that $760 million for different gamers in 2025?
There is loads of precedent, most lately with the Yankees spreading $458 million round to Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka after dropping Robinson Cano following the 2013 season.
They will act equally and hope a number of good to excellent gamers can compensate for the lack of one all-timer.
Still, it’s unlikely that Hal Steinbrenner — who licensed his first $300 million-plus payroll final season — greenlights a $760 million winter after repeatedly stating it isn’t sustainable for Yankees possession to proceed at such a degree. It is truthful to consider such an outlay may very well be bestowed solely on a 26-year-old Soto.
The Mets outbid the Yankees and set a brand new monetary normal within the sport. Are the Mets the brand new Yankees and the Yankees the brand new Mets?
Yes and no.
The solely staff that spent extra money than the Yankees final season was the Mets.
The Yankees provided Soto $47.5 million for 16 seasons, a proposal that might have made historical past if not for Steve Cohen.
Follow The Post’s protection of Juan Soto’s historic megadeal with the Mets:
Yes, the Mets are the brand new monetary behemoths within the sport.
No, the Yankees are usually not low cost.
How ought to Yankees followers really feel about Soto?
There can be some who perceive {that a} free agent went to the very best bidder, which is customary.
There can be extra — many extra — who noticed that the Yankees made a suggestion in the identical stratosphere and have been turned down.
From Day 1 as a Yankee, Soto was a darling in The Bronx who may do no unsuitable (and did little unsuitable).
The subsequent time he seems at his former dwelling — May 16, 2025 — the guess right here is he can be handled as a traitor.
Could this be a blessing in disguise?
Sure. Enormous contracts go south regularly.
Soto is a supremely gifted hitter who just isn’t a gifted fielder or runner and can ultimately be a delegated hitter.
A contract can turn into an albatross with one or two accidents.
How are the ultimate six seasons of Mike Trout’s megadeal wanting?
The Yankees’ 2025 hopes look gloomier, however savvy strikes that divvy up the a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} nonetheless would make them a World Series risk.
After such a intestine punch, they don’t have time to keel over for lengthy.
