The Yankees' Juan Soto has been solely focused on the playoffs, even though he has a lucrative offseason ahead

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yankees slugger Juan Soto knows the time will come very soon when he will have to make a decision about his future.

He tries to put it off as long as possible.

The four-time All-Star is poised to become the biggest free agent on the market this offseason – whenever it begins – with a potential contract worth half a billion dollars. But Soto said before the Yankees played the Royals in Game 3 of their AL Division Series on Wednesday night that he was leaving his contract situation in the hands of his agent, Scott Boras.

“At the end of the day, I just try to focus on the game,” Soto said. “Like you said, I love this game and I've been playing it since I was a kid. For me it’s more about the game – trying to win, trying to find a way to win – and trying to help the team.”

Soto has done nothing to dampen his market this season. He hit .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs and led the league with 128 runs scored. And he was a key reason the Yankees held off the Orioles for the AL East title.

Earlier this year, Soto said he was willing to negotiate a contract with the Yankees during the season. Now these discussions need to happen as soon as they are over – perhaps this week, depending on how the ALDS develops.

“All the free agent talks and everything, I just leave that to my agent, let him take care of it, and I just come every day to play baseball and enjoy the game that I love,” said Soto, who already has a World Series ring after helping the Nationals win the 2019 title in a dramatic seven-game series with Houston.

“It really makes it very easy for me,” Soto said. “I just play baseball. That’s all I do.”

Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer to become the Nationals' long-term cornerback, and they traded him to the Padres in August 2022 on an eight-player contract. They made it to the National League Championship Series. However, he struggled last year, missing the playoffs entirely despite having the third-highest payroll in the majors.

The Padres, of course, are back in the playoffs this year and will face the Dodgers in an NL Division Series. But they're doing it while Soto plays for the Yankees after being the centerpiece of a seven-player transfer last December.

“When you put on the jersey and the pinstripes, it just feels different. Like you say, there's so much history and everything, so many fans all over the world, it's just amazing,” Soto said. “Wherever you go, the fans are waiting for you, cheering you on, wishing you all the best, and you can feel it.” You can feel it in every way.”

That's a big reason – along with team budgets, of course – that Soto could be back in the Bronx next season.

His teammate Aaron Judge set the standard in 2022 when he signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees. But then Shohei Ohtani broke that mark when he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

Soto may not reach that astronomical number. But regardless, he doesn't seem too worried about it.

“No, no, I always keep that for my agent,” he said. “Even at my house, we never talk about it. We’re keeping it simple: just come here, enjoy the moment, enjoy where we are, and we’ll see what happens.”

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