Yankees' desire to be 'mecca of baseball' fuels Juan Soto trade - ESPN

NEW YORK — Juan Soto's arrival is a sign the New York Yankees want stars to help them rebound from their worst season in three decades — a move right out of late owner George Steinbrenner's playbook.

«We certainly want to try under the Steinbrenner leadership to make this the mecca of baseball,» general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday, a day after acquiring the three-time All-Star outfielder from San Diego in a seven-player trade. «George Steinbrenner always felt that the best players in the world should play here for the New York Yankees.

»Hal Steinbrenner and Jenny and Jessica have continued those efforts," Cashman added, referring to the controlling owner's sisters. «Juan Soto is the latest example of that, of their efforts to try to bring the greatest, most talented baseball players the world can provide to play and call home here in the Bronx.»

New York also got Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham for right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and Drew Thorpe along with catcher Kyle Higashioka.

Soto, who turned 25 in October, hit .275 with 35 homers, 109 RBIs and a .930 OPS in his only full season with the Padres and joins a batting order that includes Aaron Judge. Cashman likened pairing Soto with Judge to a card game.

«The great thing about the crazy eights is that one's right-handed, one's left-handed,» he said. «And so that creates a tougher lineup to navigate for the opposing pitchers.»

Judge will see considerable time in center field rather than right until rookie Jasson Dominguez returns from Tommy John surgery, likely in June or July. Judge was limited to 106 games last season by a strained right hip and then a sprained right big toe he hurt slamming into the Dodger Stadium wall