The Juan Soto sweepstakes is taking shape, with at least five teams having already met with the 26-year-old free-agent superstar.
Following sit-downs with the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, have met with the three biggest clubs of this competition: the deep-pocketed New York Mets, the New York Yankees, who will hope to retain him after a 41-home-run campaign, and the defending-champion, free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers.
Other teams have been linked with Soto this offseason, and the landscape could very well change in the three weeks leading up to the Winter Meetings when a deal could be struck.
For the time being, though, here we rank the top potential landing spots based on Soto’s priorities: The best deal and (a distant second priority) the likelihood of consistent winning.
8. Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays had been mentioned in the periphery of the Soto sweepstakes, but any thought of pulling off an upset for him likely went out the window when they were forced to move all of their home games to the Yankees’ spring training home, Steinbrenner Field, for the 2025 season after Hurricane Milton ripped off the roof of Tropicana Field.
7. Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are not short on gumption. They were major players for Shohei Ohtani last year and have sat down with Soto and Boras this offseason. This team has a lot of work to do to create a legitimate contender in the American League East, and with not a ton of money to spend, they also have to address the possibility of extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
6. Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox add another AL East team to the equation but are considered long shots to win Soto’s signature. It is not because they cannot offer him a big deal but because they need to address their serious shortage in starting pitching before anything else. They have been quiet on the major free-agent market for a few years now, so at least the interest in Soto suggests that they might be willing to throw their weight around this winter.
5. San Francisco Giants: There have been talks of the Giants wanting to reduce their payroll, which means a $600 million-plus deal for Soto is unlikely. But even with a new general manager in Buster Posey calling the shots, the Giants are expected to at least be in on the biggest free agent of the winter as they were two years ago when they came tantalizingly close to stealing Aaron Judge away from the Yankees. The NL West is loaded with the Dodgers, Padres, and even the Diamondbacks, so an exception being made for Soto would be understandable.
4. Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies appear to be stuck in neutral despite a 2024 season in which they had the best record in the National League. Since making the World Series two years ago, their results have worsened, leading to a four-game NLDS exit at the hands of the Mets. The core of a winner is there with Zac Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos, but the organization needs a jolt to get them over the top. Soto would do just that and make an imposing lineup even more dangerous.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers: Here come the Dodgers again, which is mind-boggling to consider after they practically spent $1 billion last offseason, headlined by Ohtani’s deferred $700 million deal. However, the defending champions are not afraid to spend where they see fit, and they have the pedigree of consistent winning, which Soto also values. If they make an offer anywhere close to the New York clubs, they will garner serious consideration.
2. New York Yankees: If the Yankees can match the Mets’ offer, Soto will remain in the Bronx. He appeared to thoroughly enjoy his one season in pinstripes. He reportedly received certain promises from owner Hal Steinbrenner during their meeting on Monday (h/t Bob Klapisch), which included further investments to create a well-rounded winner and a confirmation that he will compete with Mets owner Steve Cohen. It is one thing to reportedly say that, but it is an entirely different thing to do it. Steinbrenner talked about reducing the Yankees’ payroll back in May and signing Soto to a mega-deal will not help those prospects.
1. New York Mets: They appear to have everything that Soto wants. Multiple reports in recent days have suggested that this ultimately will come down to which team puts forth the best offer. Cohen and the Mets are capable of outspending any team by $50 million. All the while, they have laid the groundwork of becoming a sustainable winner thanks to the arrival of David Stearns and their ahead-of-schedule 2024 season that featured an NLCS appearance for the first time in nine years. Soto would team up with NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor and be the centerpiece of an offseason that could see other headlining moves to transform the Mets from a feel-good story in 2024 to a World Series favorite in 2025.
