Juan Soto teases Yankees fans with long-term deal dreams during first home series

No, superstar slugger and Scott Boras client Juan Soto will not be entertaining a long-term deal with the Yankees prior to the end of the season.

...Right? He won't, though ... right? Because, we're going to be honest -- and lean in real close, don't let anyone else hear -- he genuinely seems to love it here. Hopefully, he loves it in the Bronx specifically, and not New York City in general.

Soto thoroughly dominated the Yankees' opening road series in Houston, which was formerly their house of horrors before No. 22 came along.

When it came time to reintroduce himself to the home fans after a 6-1 road trip, his on field performance didn't quite match the hype in the Home Opener, but his perfectly curated appearance and vibe certainly screamed, "New York, I'm Home." Soto's cleats were covered in New York iconography -- which, luckily, included pinstripes and the Yankee Stadium subway stop, for any curious Mets fans peeping this article.

"Soto <3 NY" was a bit ambiguous on the heel, but the rest would be tough to paint over.

Yankees star Juan Soto's cleats, walk-up song embrace being a Yankee

At the very least, Soto has formed his 2024 ethos around energizing Yankees fans as much as he possibly can while he's here, which is all you can ask for out of a theoretical one-year rental.

But it was impossible to witness the love and adoration poured upon him on Friday (and throughout the weekend), as well as Soto's genuinely humbled reaction before he got back to shuffling, and not believe that he intends to be here for quite a while as an ambassador for the franchise.

He spoke after the game about embracing the team's dedicated Dominican fandom, and crafted every appearance he made from Friday through Sunday in an effort to get the most boisterous possible response.

Things have never been quite so good for the Yankees franchise again since that blessed debut year of "Empire State of Mind," when the team embraced the anthem en route to the 2009 World Series title, their most recent championship.

Even a single year of Soto is immensely valuable to the New York Yankees, as already evidenced by the mindset adjustment he appears to have instilled in the rest of the roster.

But over the weekend, fans who've insisted since December that Soto saw something special here and might just influence his super agent to get something signed, sealed and delivered saw their faith justified. Hopefully, it's just a matter of time, provided the dollars and cents are appropriate.