New York Yankees Captain Aaron Judge kept a close eye on teammate Juan Soto throughout their first season together.

As the two stars prepare to play against each other in the World Series Los Angeles DodgersJudge knows this could be his last series with the young phenom. Soto will be a free agent this winter and could command the largest contract in MLB history outside of Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal.

The Yankees won’t be the only side making an offer on the table for Soto, who will certainly have plenty of options from other teams.

But Judge believes Soto will make the “right decision,” whatever that means for them.

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Juan Soto of the New York Yankees celebrates winning Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in 10 innings at Progressive Field on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

“When the time comes, when this is all over, he will make the right decision,” the judge told reporters on Thursday. he said.

Judge was in a similar position with the Yankees just two years ago. Judge, who hit an American League record 62 home runs and won his first MVP award, entered the free agency period for the first time in his career.

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Judge’s negotiation with the Yankees in December 2022 was a time of confusion and anxiety for Yankees fans because his decision was shrouded in mystery. This resulted in the New York Post MLB’s Joel Sherman’s infamous fake report that Judge was “headed” to court. San Francisco Giants.

Judge reportedly received a 10-year, $400 million offer from the Padres that winter, but gave the Yankees a chance to back their offer. Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees in a last-minute phone call with team owner Hal Steinbrenner; This deal took one year and $40 million less, allowing him to stay with the pinstripes.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the 2024 ALCS at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Soto hit career highs with 41 home runs and 128 runs batted in this year, and produced his signature Yankee moment on Saturday with a game-winning three-run homer in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians.

Many teammates later publicly begged Soto to stay with the Yankees.

ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton said after the game: “We need him to stay. He will stay. We have to bring him home, and then we’ll bring him home.”

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“Pay my man! Pay Juan Soto! 700 million dollars!” said infielder Jazz Chisholm, who joined the team at the trade deadline after struggling against Soto in the National League.

Yankees fans milling around Cleveland after the game chanted “Re-sign Soto!” They even shouted slogans.

Soto is represented by MLB super-agent Scott Boras, who has a notorious history of squeezing teams for every penny in negotiations.

But even if Chisholm thinks it’s worth it, Steinbrenner may not agree to a $700 million request.

Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner speaks at a press conference at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY on December 21, 2022 (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

“I’m going to be honest. Payrolls at the levels we’re at right now are not financially sustainable for us,” Steinbrenner told the New York Post in May. “This would not be sustainable for the vast majority of owners” (groups), given the luxury tax we would have to pay.

“I don’t believe I need to have a $300 million payroll to win a championship.”

With other deep bidders wanting Soto this winter and a Yankees owner reluctant to increase payroll, the star slugger may have to decide to take less money to stay with the Yankees, as Judge did.

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