Yankees GM Brian Cashman talks Juan Soto trade: 'It significantly upgrades us'

As the old saying goes: The third time’s the charm.

Less than 24 hours after the Yankees finally acquired Juan Soto, along with Trent Grisham, in a trade with the San Diego Padres, general manager Brian Cashman discussed how the deal got done, the impact his new starting right fielder will have on the team, and what the future beyond this upcoming season may hold for Soto and the Yanks.

It’s no secret that a Soto to the Bronx blockbuster move has been a long time in the making. Cashman said on Thursday that he had talks with the Washington Nationals in 2022 prior to them trading Soto to the Padres.

And at long last, the Yanks got their guy.

"The future is always now," Cashman said during a Zoom with reporters. "'24 is our focus and [we’re] trying to become that last team standing once again."

How long Soto, who is a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, will stay in the Bronx remains to be seen, but Cashman is focused "on the here and now," saying, "we’re just very proud of the fact that we can call him a Yankee at this time and with the full intentions of, again, taking a shot at a title."

It was clear that this move, or at the very least a move similar to this, had to be made by New York this offseason after the team finished in fourth place in the AL East last season with a record of 82-80.

With the addition of Soto to a lineup that also has Aaron Judge – two players Cashman said grade out at the top of the 20-80 scouting scale – the Yankees’ offense that ranked toward the bottom in most offensive categories last season took a big jump.

"It significantly upgrades us without a doubt," he said. "And the great thing about the 'crazy 8s' is that one is right-handed and one is left-handed and so that creates a tougher lineup to navigate for the opposing pitchers… We still have more work to do and we know that, but we are really excited by what this acquisition can do for both balance and impact and certainly excited for the opportunity to bring him here."

So how exactly did all of this come to fruition?

"These efforts weren’t the first attempts to acquire these players," Cashman said, referring to Soto as well as Alex Verdugo. "But right out of the gate, what started [things was] Omar Minaya, who used to work with A.J. Preller, and I met with A.J. out in Scottsdale to make sure A.J. knew how serious we were and that we were very vocal and public that we were looking for not just one left-handed outfield bat but two, especially with the Jasson Dominguez injury.

"And so therefore we were trying to find that marketplace that was limited, and so we knew that it would be a challenge regardless but we attacked this winter like every other winter or trade deadline and we put our best foot forward to see if we could pull down something of interest to us.

"I think both teams in the end got exactly what they would be looking for. It hurt a lot on our end to give up some real pieces, but you have to give to get so we certainly imported one of the best hitters in the game today. Also don’t sleep on Grisham. He’s a nice, quality, we believe championship-caliber piece as well that adds to our mix."

The Yanks sent right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka to San Diego in order to get Soto. It’s quite the haul for a player who has one year left of arbitration before becoming a free agent and whose agent, Scott Boras, often takes his clients to free agency.

The uncertainty surrounding Soto’s long-term future in the Bronx makes the deal a bit risky, but Cashman is hopeful that the pitch for Soto to stay with the Yanks beyond this season will take care of itself.

"We’re not gonna trick anybody, we’re not gonna be something that we’re not," he said. "We’ve got good people here, whether it’s managers, coaches, his new teammates as well as our fans and the tri-state area, there’s a lot to offer. 

"I think that’s a recruiting beacon for anybody. We certainly want to always, under the Steinbrenner leadership, to make this the mecca of baseball and also to make this an amazing and enjoyable experience for players and their families' life."

He added: 

"This is another manifestation of the Steinbrenner legacy. I think George Steinbrenner always felt that the best players in the world should play here for the New York Yankees… and obviously Hal Steinbrenner and Jenny and Jessica have continued those efforts, and so Juan Soto is a latest example of that."