Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Ups the Ante on Juan Soto's Free Agency With Two-Word Message

New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm only needed two words to convey what he thinks Juan Soto is worth to their team.
Grant Young|
Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees third base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates after beating the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees third base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates after beating the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

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New York YankeesLos Angeles DodgersCleveland Guardians

As you surely know by now, the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 on Saturday night to win the ALCS and appear in the franchise's first World Series since 2009.

New York probably would not have clinched without the late-game heroics of 25-year-old superstar Juan Soto, who delivered an iconic three-run home run in the 10th inning of Game 5 after an all-time great at-bat against formidable Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis.

Not only was this the most memorable moment of Soto's one season with the Yankees, but it's arguably the most memorable moment of his entire MLB career to this point.

Although Yankees fans are hoping that future moments will match it; not only in the upcoming World Series, but for years to come.

Soto will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The general belief is that he will command the second-largest contract in MLB history (only inferior to the 10-year, $700 million contract that the Los Angeles Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani last offseason), with recent reports stating that it will take at least $600 million to secure Soto to a long-term deal.

However, Soto's teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. offered up his own number he thinks Soto should sign for in the aftermath of New York's ALCS win.

When YES Network reporter Meredith Marakovits asked Chisholm what he was thinking when Soto was at the plate before his home run, Chisholm said, "He's gonna do it. That's the only thing going through my mind, he's gonna do it."

He then added, "Pay my guy! Pay Juan Soto!"

When Marakovits brought up how much Chisholm thinks Soto should be paid, he said, "$700 million!"

Clearly, Chisholm believes Soto is worth as much as Ohtani. And if Soto's offense continues to propel the Yankees to a World Series championship, the franchise's front office may decide to give him every cent of what Chisholm suggested.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for On SI. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee. You can follow him on X: @GrvntYoung

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