THAT JUAN SOTO RUMOR IS BACK AGAIN WITH NEW LIFE!

We are all wondering if the Yankees are going to make a big splash after missing the postseason for the first time since 2016. We all like the big splashes, but the Yankees might be chasing after one of the biggest fish in the ocean.

The Juan Soto rumors are out there, we've all heard them. We also know that the Yankees are always tied to every big name in the game. It's inevitable every season. Soto's name is back in the headlines again, and Winter isn't even here yet. Check out the latest hot stove gossip HERE.

So the Yankees and the Padres have had preliminary conversations about Soto. Okay, cool. Am I getting overly excited about it? No. Every team is going to try and have those same conversations with the Padres. Soto will be a free agent after the 2024 season and his young age combined with his elite status in the game he is going to land a hefty contract in the near future. Can the Padres afford him? Maybe, maybe not and if they don't think they can keep him they might choose to move him.

But that's a big IF. According to Padres General Manager A.J. Preller their first choice would be to extend Soto. When he was asked if the Padres would consider trading him, he said, "we've never been a group that says no to anything. I wouldn't read into that. That's just kind of the way we operate." No surprise to that answer though.

Of course the Padres want to try and extend him first, and they would not be against trading him if they found the right return for him. Do I think the Yankees would give up any top prospects to get him. The Yankees don't like to do that for a player with multiple years of team control, which they wouldn't even get here.

There is still the possibility that the Padres could still choose to move him and replenish to get other prospects in return. They already have large contracts on the books with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts which all amount to almost $300 million. Soto is estimated to get a raise around $30 million in his last year of arbitration, so the Padres could decide to shed some payroll instead. Spending big (like the Yankees) hasn't seemed to work out well for them.

Do I like the idea of Soto's bat in the lineup? Absolutely, but this new tidbit of information doesn't have me doing cartwheels just yet. If this does develop into something though it could be the bright spot after a disappointing season. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj