Mike Stobe/Getty Images In the aftermath of a disappointing end to their 2024 season, the focus for the New York Yankees now shifts to hoping they can keep Juan Soto as he prepares to hit free agency for the first time in his career. Following their 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, Aaron Judge said the Yankees were "lucky" to have Soto this year and experssed hope they can keep him going forward. Yankees Videos @snyyankees There is no reason the Yankees can't keep Soto, but there are questions of whether or not ownership will want to take that financial leap. Spotrac estimates they already have $249.5 million in salary commitments for next season when including arbitration projections. MLB's competitive balance tax for 2025 is set at $241 million. If Soto's deal ends up being close to $50 million in annual value, the Yankees would be paying close to $300 million before factoring in penalties for being over the CBT for the fourth straight year. Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner told reporters in May that the team's current payroll was "simply not sustainable for us financially" because of the tax penalties they had to pay. Steinbrenner did make those comments long before the Yankees made a run to the World Series for the first time since 2009, but he's also been far more financially conservative with payroll than his father, George, since taking over day-to-day operations of the club in November 2008. ✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content Everyone expected Soto would do well for the Yankees when he was acquired from the San Diego Padres in December 2023, but he managed to exceed a lot of the hype. The four-time All-Star hit .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 homers in 157 games during the regular season. Soto added to his Yankees lore with a fantastic postseason performance. He hit .327/.469/.633 in 14 games and became a New York icon with his go-ahead home run in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians that sent the Yankees to the World Series. New York Yankees