Rieber: With Judge behind him, Soto has thrived as a Yankees co-star

Juan Soto had an impressive Division Series, making seven of 18 plate appearances in the Yankees' four-game win over Kansas City.

Soto did all the little things that showed up in the box score, but he was largely overlooked in the stories about the four ALDS games.

Soto had four hits (one double and three singles) in 14 at-bats. He walked three times, scored one run and drove in two runs (including one on a sacrifice fly). He threw a runner at the plate, a key play in the Yankees' Game 1 victory.

Soto was more of a table-setter than a big-time badass. He also improved to 7-1 in the postseason, with his only loss coming with San Diego in the 2022 NLCS against the Phillies.

On Monday, Soto singled to center and drove in the game's first run with a home run to right-center leading off the third against Alex Cobb, against whom Soto was a paltry 9-for-13 at the time (.692). ) with two home runs. It was Soto's eighth career postseason home run.

Soto was an excellent winger for Aaron Judge in Soto's first and possibly his only season with the Yankees. Is that reality — plus about $500 million to $700 million — enough to keep Soto in pinstripes for years to come?

Some guys want to be the No. 1 player on a team. As long as he's upright, he'll be the judge of the Yankees. Bryce Harper with the Phillies. Francisco Lindor with the Mets.

Soto doesn't seem to have that desire. Ask him about his contribution to the 2019 Nationals title and he'll talk about how “we always came through – our big stars definitely had big moments, as we all expected.” But at the end of the day, it's about the entire team . We can't rely on one player to do everything to make it to the finish line. We have to do it as a team.”

Before Game 1, Soto was asked what he thought of the Yankees' chances of winning it all.

“I think we have a really good chance,” he said. “We have everything we need for this. We have a great team that goes out there and tries to make it to the finish. We are really confident. We definitely know it won't be easy. The guys in the other dugout won't make it easy for us. We definitely feel good about being able to go out there and perform.”

Soto turned 21 on the day of Game 3 of the 2019 World Series. He is now a grizzled veteran of 25 years who will celebrate his 26th birthday on October 25th. The Yankees will either play in the World Series or stay home for the winter.

Once the World Series is over, Soto is free to sign with the team of his choice. Hal Steinbrenner has already stated that he wants Soto to come back and that he is ready to commit as the season progresses.

Soto said, “No, I’m fine,” then he went out and had a great year of hiking.

If Soto is free, suspect Steve Cohen's Mets will come. The Dodgers are always looking for the best talent. Word is that Soto's old national team is lying in wait, hoping for a reunion to complete a rebuild that appears to be blossoming in DC

It may well be that there are others. Soto, with Scott Boras as his agent, will listen to them all. Any sentimentality the player has about his time in the Bronx will disappear when the calendar turns to winter and it's time to talk money.

Even if the Yankees win the World Series and Soto loved and was loved at Yankee Stadium, you can bet that Boras will try to squeeze every last dollar for this generational talent, just like he did in 2000 with Alex Rodriguez went bankrupt with a $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers, which was the record for all American sports contracts at the time.

Can you imagine a world where a $252 million offer would be laughed at? This is the world we live in today. Like high rollers in a Vegas poker game, bidders for Soto must bet a chip worth about $500 million to even get a seat at Boras' table.

Judge, whose contract is just $360 million, had a quiet Division Series, batting .154 with no RBIs. It was scrutinized in depth, each one a referendum on whether Judge was close to breaking out of his ongoing postseason funk.

That's because he's the captain of the Yankees and one of the faces of baseball. Judge hit 58 home runs this season, which is not a career high as he once hit 62 home runs.

Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs. He wasn't the star, he was the co-star, or maybe just the special guest star if 2024 turned out to be Soto's only season in pinstripes.

Soto seems to like the bright lights. But perhaps he likes it best when they aren't shining on him the most. In addition to the millions, the Yankees can also offer Soto that.

Anthony Rieber covers baseball as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since August 31, 1998 and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.