How the New York Yankees’ Juan Soto Ploy Outsmarted Blue Jays, Leaving Toronto Reeling
The Toronto Blue Jays are living a Shakespearean tragedy. They decided to give up on the youthful exuberance of Juan Soto instead of going after the magnificence of Shohei Ohtani. Now they have no one, as both Soto and Ohtani have joined different teams. One can call this the Blue Jays’ hard luck, but it might just be a brilliant play by the Yankees. So, how did they turn the Blue Jays early Christmas into a cold, dreary winter?
The Blue Birds were highly confident about their Ohtani pursuit. So much so that they ignored everything else and pinned all their hopes on the two-way phenom. Now, the team that wants to be recognized as a “big franchise” has been taught to keep their options open. It seems the rivalry between New York and Toronto is getting spicier.
When the New York Yankees stalled the Soto trade talks, the Blue Jays immediately emerged as favorites in the Juan Soto saga. But, gradually, the Jays’ links started weakening due to their Ohtani pursuit. At the same time, the Bombers increased the intensity of their Soto quest and ended up trading him before the Jays could return from the baseball unicorn’s sweepstakes.
The Pinstripes didn’t want to risk getting more competition for Soto after names like Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners got linked to him during their negotiations. They were especially worried about the Jays, whose desperation for a big star hitter due to their offensive issues turned them into a major competitor.
The Blue Birds won 89 games last year due to an impressive defense, however, their offense is losing quality. Huge holes in the outfield as well as the 2nd and 3rd base are a testament to this fact. It appears they rely heavily on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and this dependency was evident last season when he experienced a dip in form. The Jays had hoped that getting Ohtani would improve their hitting, but seems like they made a mistake of focusing solely on him.
The Yankees promptly identified the critical error made by the Jays and responded swiftly. Even with heavy costs, the Bombers got Soto and added another chapter to their growing rivalry with the Blue Jays.
he Jays and Yankees are turning into one of the biggest rivalries in the league today, with this situation leaving Toronto seething. The Yankees Faithful, on the other hand, are not just enjoying Soto’s presence but liking that it has hurt the Jays as well.
Earlier in May this year, Aaron Judge gave a side eye to his dugout before hitting a home run. It riled the entire Blue Jays squad and staff up after this act. They ended up exchanging tough words with the Yankees coaching staff. Now it seems their rivalry has expanded into the management realm as well.
The unfolding events and outcomes lie in the future, with only the 2024 season holding the answers.
