Everything Jack Curry said about Yankees Rumors, Juan Soto on YES Hot Stove

Reading between the lines of Jack Curry's statements on YES Hot Stove has become a cherished Yankees Christmas tradition, on par with roasting chestnuts and roasting Joey Gallo. By now, it's become clear that Curry is as connected to the organization as anyone, and shares only what he feels most clearly summarizes the team's pursuits.

If there's a dream candidate that the Yankees aren't chasing, he won't mince words; he'll just tell you, "I don't think they're playing in the Corey Seager waters" and deflate you instantaneously. And while Curry's positive proclamations don't always result in a player joining the Yankees -- yes, the Yankees felt good about their Yoshinobu Yamamoto meeting last winter, and yes, he chose the Dodgers, a nugget Curry broke -- he never misleads or fudges. If the Yankees are fully invested in a free agent pursuit, he lays it plain. If they're out, he starts dancing around Plan Bs.

All of this is to say that, while Soto may choose a different offer this offseason, the Yankees are decidedly not out on the slugger at this moment in time. In fact, Curry went as hard as ever in describing New York's fervent interest and Hal Steinbrenner's desire to keep him in right field for a "long time".

Awkward defensive fit aside, it was as stirring an endorsement for the Yankees' pursuit as Curry could've given. Fans fearing that Steinbrenner might mess around were given a healthy reality check on Monday night.

Yankees Rumors: Latest on Juan Soto, Cody Bellinger from Jack Curry

Anyone looking for a negative takeaway from Curry's proclamation probably settled on the part where he noted the Yankees will be comfortable with whatever decision Soto makes, believing they put their best foot forward. Of course, that's also consistent with the optimistic first portion of Curry's speech. He doesn't know what choice Soto will make. No one does. But he knows it will take a contract offer that tops $46 million AAV (Shohei Ohtani's present value, as interpreted here), and he knows the Yankees plan to "swim in those waters". It's hard not to be comfortable with that.

Curry had a lot more to speak on beyond Soto, though, addressing recent Nolan Arenado rumors with a fervent thumbs down (again, that's that on that). The contrast when he spoke about Cody Bellinger was obvious. Curry brought Bellinger's name up of his own volition and called him a player the Yankees have liked for a very long time.

It wouldn't be at all shocking to learn, in a few weeks, that Bellinger is their preferred first base solution. After all, that's going to remain a vacancy because ... Curry harshly rebuked the idea that either Gleyber Torres or Anthony Rizzo would be returning, even betting the rest of the panel $1 that Caleb Durbin would be on the Opening Day roster.

As the show reached its conclusion, Curry commented one more time on the Soto chase in a segment regarding what type of noise the Yankees' AL East rivals, the Red Sox and Blue Jays, might be plotting this offseason.

According to Curry, he worked the phones on Monday, likely in response to a weekend of swirling Red Sox rumors and his "colleague" Randy Miller's report of Boston's favored status.

From what Curry's hearing, the Toronto connection seems overblown, and while Boston is certainly selling Soto seriously, he still believes, based on current levels of information, that this will come down to comparable Mets and Yankees offers.

Soto choosing the Mets (or Sox) over a financially competitive Yankees offer would be an organizational blow, but as of this moment, it certainly seems like Steinbrenner has put himself in a strong position, as well as put Soto at ease by showing his devotion.

The ending? That's the only bit of information we're still missing, and the only nugget that Curry isn't privy to.