Yankees wait on Juan Soto decision after 'good meeting' - ESPN

NEW YORK — Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that club officials recently met with free agent slugger Juan Soto in California, describing it as a «good meeting» that included «very honest back-and-forth dialogue» without divulging many other details.

«Our fans really enjoyed having him in New York,» Steinbrenner said Wednesday in the lobby of MLB's offices where the owners meetings are being held this week. «He's definitely a significant part of why we got to the World Series. I've got ears. I know what's expected of me. So, look, it's been a priority. We wouldn't have gone out to the West Coast if it wasn't.»

Steinbrenner said the Yankees' delegation included general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone, president Randy Levine, and Omar Minaya, a special assistant to the general manager. The owner declined to share the team's pitch to Soto or if any offers were made over the couple of hours, but he said he told Soto he would establish a relationship with the star outfielder similar to the one he has with franchise cornerstones Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge if Soto chooses to re-sign. Steinbrenner noted Soto asked about the organization's player development system.

«No idea,» Steinbrenner said when asked if he was confident the team would re-sign Soto. «We'll be in the mix. I'll leave it at that.»

In addition to the Yankees, Soto has met with the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers over the past week. The Mets, buoyed by billionaire owner Steve Cohen's deep pockets, are widely considered as the Yankees' chief competition for Soto's services.

«I could say that about a couple other owners too,» Steinbrenner said when asked about Cohen's spending power. «Or corporations, for