Boone asks Juan Soto to sit with the Yankees
On the eve of the New York Yankees’ season opener at Minute Maid Park against the Houston Astros, manager Aaron Boone gave his new slugger a simple instruction: This is your team, too.
Asked how Juan Soto will fit on a team with Aaron Judge as a recognized superstar and Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton entrenched as veteran leaders, Boone said on a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday: “My message to him is: he It’s your team too and we want to learn and grow from it and we want you to feel empowered to say and do what you think you should do.
Acquired from the San Diego Padres in the offseason, Soto brings his powerful bat, elite on-base ability and the “Soto Shuffle” to a lineup that struggled to score runs in 2023.
With the Padres, playoff hopes slowly disintegrated because some of the egos in the San Diego clubhouse (Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.) had clashed, although Soto denied it at the end of the season.
“Look, any time you’re a player coming to a team for the first time, I’m sure you’re touching the water a little bit, feeling everything,” Boone said. “I feel like, from a bonding standpoint, the team has come together very well this spring in a short period of time. I would include Juan in that. He seems very comfortable, he seems happy. I think our leaders do a great job “. “. for this to happen. “The children feel good. At home. From leadership and what kind of vocal role he takes on, that probably remains to be seen.”
After a good start in spring training, with three home runs in his first four games, Soto struggled towards the end. During the team’s trip to Mexico to conclude spring training, Soto remained in Tampa, Florida, at the team’s training facility to work on his swing.
“He hasn’t had a lot of results here the last few weeks, which I often think with a hitter of his caliber isn’t such a bad thing from a timing standpoint,” Boone said. “Every hitter goes through little lulls at different times of the season, so I hope that gets resolved here, but I think he’s ready to move on. He’s in great spirits and I can’t wait to see him go.” “…go out and destroy the Bronx.”
The Yankees missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2016, putting Boone, the team’s manager since 2018, at high risk of being fired.
“I’m here to try to win the World Series. All my energy and all my focus is on trying to help us be the best team we can be and our goal is to be a world champion,” Boone said. “I’m not thinking, ‘This has to happen so I can save my job.’ I’m in competition mode.”
The season begins a series with a tough seven-game trip to Houston and Arizona, and without the injured Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu. In LeMahieu’s absence, Boone said Gleyber Torres will bat leadoff on Opening Day with Soto and Judge at second and third.
