If they lose he can't be a cheapskate. It will look real bad. But maybe he is so cheap he doesn't care about that perception? I doubt it but possible.
Here is what would need to happen...
He would need to give Soto at least a 500M deal and probably closer to 600M because there WILL be a bidding war.
Even if you assume something wild like a 14 year deal, the Yankees are looking at an additional 10-20 million dollars more per year just for Soto alone. He made 31 million this year and you gotta figure Boras is gonna try to get 50M and negotiate from there.
On top of that, you have to win the bidding for Munetaka Murakami whenever he comes out. And that's probably gonna cost a team 20 million per year.
Plus the Yankees have to find a 1B.
And they have to find long term solutions at the middle infield spots because Gleyber and Volpe suck dikk. Probably one of those spots is filled in free agency and the other via the farm system.
But it's hard to see the Yankees being a real contender unless Hal is prepared to go into the 350M+ range in payroll.
And by the way, the Yankees already are paying 70M more than the Dodgers are right now.