The Yankees pulled off a blockbuster trade Wednesday night, acquiring superstar Juan Soto from the Padres.
Soto will form a star-studded duo in the Yankees’ outfield with former AL MVP Aaron Judge, a tandem that already has earned a new nickname from general manager Brian Cashman.
The moniker? “Crazy Eights.”
But why? It’s a reference to baseball scouting verbiage.
“On a pro scouting scale of 20 to 80, how many teams are running out two eights in their outfield?” Cashman asked during his press conference with the media Thursday.
“… It’s hard to run out multiple eights in any category, whether it’s outfield, infield, or even on your 26-man roster. It significantly upgrades us, without a doubt.
“The great thing about the ‘Crazy Eights’ is that one’s right-handed, one’s left-handed. That creates a tougher lineup to navigate for the opposing pitchers.”
Soto, 25, has one year left on his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 MLB season unless he agrees to an extension with New York.
Soto and Judge, the “Crazy Eights,” will be tasked with improving a Yankees lineup that finished 25th in runs scored last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
