The Juan Soto sweepstakes are just beginning, with Major League Baseball’s free agency period officially kicking off on Monday.
As the biggest prize on the open market, the 26-year-old and his agent, Scott Boras, will have no shortage of interested parties and offers in the coming weeks, even months.
Soto, who hit 41 home runs in his debut campaign with the New York Yankees this season, will be open to any and all offers, though only a few will be able to offer him a contract of $600 million or more, which is the likely price tag needed to secure his signature.
“I don’t know what the teams are that want to come after me, but definitely, I’ll be open to this and every single team,” Soto said after his Yankees were eliminated in Game 5 of the World Series. “I don’t have any doors closed or anything like that. I’m going to be available for all 30 teams.”
This could very well be a process that drags out for the next two months, but six teams spring to mind when considering the most logical landing spots for the All-Star right fielder.
6 potential Juan Soto landing spots
Yankees: Perhaps in a previous era of Yankees baseball, there is no other option outside of the Bronx. But Soto did not seem married to the idea of rejoining the Bronx Bombers, and Hal Steinbrenner’s stinginess does not inspire much confidence, either.
Should the Yankees come up with the magic number on their bid, though, it would be surprising to see Soto leave. He had one of the best seasons of an already superb career in the Bronx and is one-half of one of the most threatening power-hitting duos in the game alongside Aaron Judge.
But the Yankees have a lot of work to do to put together a legitimate World Series contender — which is a top priority of Soto’s, too — even with a 41st American League pennant in their back pocket.
Mets: Steve Cohen’s deep pockets make the Mets immediate players and one of the favorites to land Soto. They will be able to outbid anyone should it come down to a bidding war.
Soto could help thrust the Mets that much closer to a National League pennant after they made a Cinderella run to Game 6 of the NLCS last month. David Stearns has already proven in his first year as president of baseball operations that he can put together a winner regardless of the financial restrictions placed upon him.
The reins appear to be off this winter, though, and a full-court press on Soto might be too tantalizing to pass up.
Dodgers: The Dodgers are never afraid to spend money, and they have a consistent track record of success to lure any big name to their side of the country. Just last year, they beat the Mets in the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes despite offering a cheaper deal.
The 2024 World Series champions are loaded with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman anchoring its core. Starting pitching might be higher on the priority list, but potentially adding Soto to the embarrassment of riches in Los Angeles would make the Dodgers an even larger juggernaut and a perennial World Series favorite.
Phillies: Dave Dombrowski is not afraid to make a big splash. He did just that when he acquired Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, and Kyle Schwarber.
But the Phillies need a shakeup despite winning the National League East and entering the postseason as the senior circuit’s No. 1 overall seed. The Mets outclassed them in four games, and their lineup was neutralized when it mattered most.
Soto lengthens a lineup already littered with big bats and cements the Phillies as the class of the NL East.
Giants: The Giants have money to spend, the problem is that they have been unable to lure the biggest names to San Francisco.
Two years ago, they nearly pulled off a coup for Aaron Judge, who ultimately decided to stay with the Yankees. They have finished fourth in the NL West in each of the last two years since then.
The Dodgers control the division, the Diamondbacks are one year removed from winning a pennant, and the Padres have remained a force to be reckoned with even after trading Soto to New York last winter. New general manager Buster Posey, the leader of three World Series winners last decade, needs to make a big splash to ensure his team remains relevant.
Blue Jays: There were a few puzzling moments last offseason when the baseball world thought that Shohei Ohtani was headed to the Toronto Blue Jays. Regardless of the reporting on flight paths and air travel, the Blue Jays were, in fact, in the mix.
Big-game hunting is nothing new to the AL East franchise. They picked up George Springer and Marcus Semien in an attempt to support their homegrown products in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.
It has not worked out. The Blue Jays finished last in the AL East this season at 74-88 and have two very clear goals this winter: Get another big bat and revamp the bullpen. Should they do that, the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles’ stranglehold on the division becomes much looser.
