If that was all there was to Juan Soto as a Yankee, it ended in an ugly way.

Sure, the future free agent reached base four straight times and scored twice in Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

But with the Yankees trailing in the bottom of the eighth, Soto took the lead with a weak grounder to first, part of one of the worst defeats in franchise history, a 7-6 loss to close the season.

His memorable go-ahead home run in the ALCS that helped send the Yankees to the World Series in Cleveland won't soon be forgotten, but the 26-year-old will now hit the open market for the first time.

While Soto would certainly welcome a reunion, it will only come at a cost to him – and that of agent Scott Boras.

And the superstar has said repeatedly throughout the season that he enjoyed his time in the Bronx, but he will accept any offers once he hits the open market.

Soto's night began with a one-out walk in the bottom of the first, setting up Aaron Judge's first home run of the series, a two-run shot.

He walked again in the second and hit a single through the right side of the infield in the fourth
The Yankees failed to score in any of those innings.

The right fielder drew another walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth, scoring the go-ahead run on Giancarlo Stanton's sacrifice fly.

But he couldn't deliver in the eighth after the defense and bullpen helped Gerrit Cole give up a five-run lead.

Soto only increased his price during his season with the Yankees after arriving from San Diego in December. A regular season with 41 home runs, the highest of his career, was followed by an impressive postseason that ended Wednesday.

It remains to be seen whether his days of wearing pinstripes are over.

All year long, fans in the stadium chanted “re-sign Soto,” and he often responded to fans serenading him in right field.

There was no sign of this in the season-ending defeat.

Soto never had a problem fitting in during his stay in New York, and he's been one of his favorites from opening day to now – and he's kept the crowd entertained.

“It's a combination of the fight that follows, but also with a theatrical element,” Aaron Boone said before the game. “His abs are not to be missed. I can't tell you how many at-bats there (were) this year, 0-2, and you just think, OK, that's – four or five more throws and then it'll end with something good.”

Boone described it this way: “He’s just so good at his craft. Then his feeling for the dramatic and the encounter with the moment. I'll also return to Spring Training: First game, all eyes on Juan Soto. What will that look like? It's just a spring training game, but it was a big deal. Boom, homer now. OK…Go to Houston, opening day, boom, big hit after big hit, big hit at the plate.”

And Boone also pointed out the three-run shot Soto hit against the Guardians.

“He's had so many 'Here's the big moment' moments throughout the year, obviously in Cleveland at the crucial moment,” Boone said. “He definitely has that flair for the dramatic. “He has a lot of confidence in those situations because he’s obviously really good, but his work, his process and his discipline are outstanding.”