Juan Soto open to in-season contract talks with the Yankees - ESPN

MINNEAPOLIS — Juan Soto has settled in just fine with the Yankees, marveling at the reach and intensity of the fan base, relishing New York's rich culture and, of course, hitting in a loaded lineup right in front of Aaron Judge.

He'll have a decision to make sooner than later on whether to re-up, with his first time as a free agent looming in the fall. But perhaps he won't make it to the open market at all. Soto said Thursday that he would give his blessing to contract talks during the season if the Yankees want to approach his agent, Scott Boras, about a long-term contract.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner told the team's YES Network he'd consider such a tactic for the three-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger who's still just 25 years old.

«We'd like to see him here for the rest of his career. I don't think there's any doubt in that. His agent, Scott, doesn't tend to do deals in the middle of the season. Neither do I. I think it can be a distraction,» Steinbrenner said in the interview. «But as I said in spring training… this is a unique situation and a very unique player, so I wouldn't be shocked if there was a conversation or two had possibly during the course of a season. I think it's worth doing at some point.»

Soto is batting .302 with 9 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .920 OPS in 45 games. He signed a $31 million, one-year contract to avoid salary arbitration after San Diego sent him and outfielder Trent Grisham to New York in a payroll-paring trade in December for catcher Kyle Higashioka and four pitchers.

Asked about Steinbrenner's comments Thursday after the Yankees finished a sweep of the Minnesota Twins, Soto said his «door has always been open» to doing a new deal before the fall but stressed that he's simply