Rarely does the sound of a clock ticking affect temperature. However, with Juan Soto, every second is making things hotter. On-field Soto is just one step away from ALCS; off-field, he’s just a month away from becoming a free agent. At 26, he’d be one of the youngest hitters to enter the market in a long time. Naturally, that calls for a frenzy but despite that, Soto’s love affair with the New York Yankees is growing stronger.

Usually, players don’t go overboard in their team’s praise this close to their free agency. It’s seen as a show of being biased and agents fear that this expression can reduce the number of suitors. But Soto isn’t really worried about that. How did we come to that conclusion? Simply by the words of the 25-year-old. Despite a tremendous offer potentially at his door, Soto chose to focus on the Bronx Bombers and how much playing for them means to him.

“When you put that jersey on and those pinstripes, it just feels different,” Soto said via a report from AP News. “Like you say, there’s so much history and everything, so many fans all over the world that we have, it’s just incredible.” Later, Soto explained how the constant adoration from fans won his heart. While this isn’t anything new, the timing speaks volumes. After all, with the latest reports of an AL East rival’s pursuit, suddenly the Yankees have another competition on their hand.

On October 9th, reports emerged that the Toronto Blue Jays were ready to make an “astronomical offer” to the Dominican slugger. While it might seem surprising at first, one must remember the Jays had made a $700 million offer to Shohei Ohtani too. The failure of that deal culminated in the Jays’ highly disappointing season.

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. becoming a free agent after 2025, the Jays have a very limited window for success. Could this be the reason for their Juan Soto pursuit? Possibly, but Soto doesn’t want to think about it. He’d rather focus on the task at hand, i.e., winning the World Series.

Juan Soto makes a surprising admission regarding his upcoming free-agency

During that interview with AP News, Juan Soto also mentioned how unworried he is about his free agency. The superstar revealed that he let his agent, Scott Boras, do all the talking. “The whole free agent talks and everything, I just leave that to my agent,” Soto said. Instead, the Yankees star focuses on what he does best – play baseball. However, leaving the free agency talks to the agent doesn’t mean Soto has zero care for it, right? Think about it once again. 

The answer is – it actually means just that. The 25-year-old admitted that not even his family talks about his free agency. “Even in my house and everything, we never even talk about that,” Soto said.

That is quite surprising. After all, free agency is perhaps the biggest moment for any baseball player. Their future hinges on it, so not talking about it seems strange. However, not chatting about it doesn’t mean that Soto has no care for it. As his friend mentioned, Soto has a big number in his mind. 

The reports had emerged that Juan Soto might be looking for a contract that starts with a 6. While it may not be possible for Soto to match Shohei Ohtani’s ridiculous $700 million deal, most expect him to exceed Shotime’s AAV (around $46 million). At such a young age, it won’t surprise anyone if Soto actually manages to do that. After all, his agent is Scott Boras, and that man is known for maximizing his client’s deals.

Could the Boras magic work again? Will Juan Soto’s love for the Yankees take him toward the Bronx? Let us know in the comments.