Hal Steinbrenner had a private meeting with star Juan Soto in July before his free agency

The 2024-2025 MLB offseason will be dominated by the Juan Soto Sweepstakes. Last season was all about Shohei Ohtani’s decision to hit free agency, and Ohtani didn’t disappoint, signing one of the most interesting contracts in MLB history.

Soto is now expected to sign a contract above the $500 million mark, with the New York Mets and New York Yankees being the two favorites to sign Soto to the huge deal. Yankees fans have done their part to show their love for Soto, often chanting “Re-sign Soto!” during Yankees home games. The Yankees front office is also doing its part to make Soto feel loved and valued in the Bronx.

If the Yankees have an edge over the Mets and everyone else in the Soto sweepstakes, it will be because of Soto’s familiarity and familiarity with the Yankees and the personnel in the organization.

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Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports that Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had a private meeting with Soto in July.

“Part of that intelligence-gathering mission included a private meeting between Soto and one of the people who could influence the outcome of the winter’s most high-profile free agent pursuit: Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner,” Kuty wrote. “The previously unreported meeting between the market’s top free agent and the owner of one of baseball’s wealthiest franchises took place in July at Yankee Stadium in a room near the home clubhouse.”

This is pretty unusual in baseball, especially in a market as big as New York. Kuty reports that the conversation between Steinbrenner and Soto is mostly about what his experience with the Yankees has been like since arriving in the offseason via a trade with the San Diego Padres.

“It’s always nice to see (an owner) come by to at least say hello,” Soto said, “to see how we’re doing, what we’re up to, this and that.” It’s great to see an owner who really cares about the players.”

Soto, 25, plays as well as ever. He is hitting .288/.418/.571 with a career-high 41 homers and a projected top-three AL MVP finish. His attention now turns to the postseason, where he is expected to play a key role in bringing home another World Series for the Yankees, their 28th all-time and first since 2009.

Soto’s attention is currently on the postseason. The Yankees can increase their chances of retaining him by having a successful postseason. That’s no surprise since Soto is a client of Scott Boras and they’re mostly testing free agency. Steinbrenner met the young superstar, but the most important thing a team can do is give Soto the money he wants. That remains to be seen after the playoffs and we are at the beginning of winter.