Top teams pursuing $600 million Juan Soto in free agency after heartbreaking World Series loss
Several MLB teams including the New York Yankees, the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as favorites to sign Juan Soto.
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Juan Soto (Image via Imago)
Four-time MLB All-Star Juan Soto is currently the main attraction point of the MLB. The Dominican international’s free agency talks have been the talking point in the offseason so far.
Soto spent the 2024 season on the New York Yankees and led them to their first American League pennant since 2009. However, he was unable to get them over the finishing line as he and the Yankees ended up losing in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Following the loss in the World Series, Soto openly admitted that he would be available to all 30 teams. The Yankees on their part sent him a qualifying offer of $21.05 million. However, it is likely that he would reject it and become a free agent.
Several teams have started to show an interest in him. While there are some favorites, there are some whose participation in this rumored $600 million sweepstakes has stunned the MLB world. Let’s delve deeper and find out which are the top teams who are interested in him.
Top teams showing interest in Juan Soto
#1 New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are going to be the first team who want him back and tie him down to a huge deal. Having joined the squad through a trade from the San Diego Padres in December 2023, Soto lit up the Yankees fanbase with his performances this year.
He finished the regular season with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs while batting with a .288 average. In the postseason, he smashed another 4 home runs and picked up 9 RBIs with a high batting average of .327. He was one of the lone offensive stars of the Yankees and thus they are trying their best to bring him back in pinstripes.
#2 Los Angeles Dodgers
“If you can’t beat them, join them,” is probably something some MLB fans are saying to Juan Soto. After suffering a World Series heartbreak against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Soto might end up playing for them in the 2025 season.
After a crushing Game 3 loss in the World Series, reports started emerging that the Dodgers could be one of the teams who could end up with him if he is interested. The LA-based outside has never been shy of spending the cash.
To land Soto they might have to spend in a similar range as they did to land Shohei Ohtani. In 2023, the Dodgers offered a $700 million 10-year deal to Ohtani. There have been several comparisons on how Soto’s deal could be similar to the Japanese two-way star.
#3 New York Mets
The third team which is considered an early favorite to sign Soto is the New York Mets. The cross-town rivals of the Yankees, are one of the teams who want to land the left fielder and strengthen their team to challenge for the World Series crown.
Just like the Dodgers, the Mets are also one of the teams that are not shy of spending huge money on players. Recently, their President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns claimed that the team will take an “aggressive approach” in the free agency.
Team owner Steve Cohen is also set to meet him in California next week. The Mets also face the scenario of losing “Polar Bear” Pete Alonso to free agency. Should they end up losing him, they might just go all out to sign Soto.
#4 Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox may not have been at the top of their game or the MLB in recent years, they are still one of the biggest teams in the league. As per reports, the ownership of the American League East side is expected to spend heavily in this offseason.
A major factor in Soto’s signing for the Red Sox could be due to the team’s history with Dominican stars. Soto’s countrymen David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez achieved huge success with the team in the past.
A potential move to the Red Sox could see Soto become a public enemy in New York because of the two teams’ age-old rivalry. It will be interesting to see what kind of offer the Red Sox put up for him.
#5 San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants had a great start to the 2010s as they won the World Series in 3 of the first five years. However, since then their star has declined and they have struggled to keep up with their division rivals, the Dodgers.
After going long last season to land Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Jorge Soler, and Jung Ho Lee last year, the SF Giants might have to take a step back in their pursuit of Soto. The major reason for this is the amount of resources they have.
The team though has not bagged down from a fight. In the last two seasons, they offered big-money deals to Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. The Giants had offered Judge a deal of $360 million nine-year deal. However, he ended up re-signing with the Yankees on the same deal offered by the Giants. So if it comes to the push, the Giants might go all out again.
#6 Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the teams who have shown an interest in Juan Soto. As per reports from USA Today’s Bob Nighteangle, the Blue Jays are considered a ‘dark horse‘ in the race to sign the four-time MLB All-Star.
If the deal does go through a price of $600 million, the Toronto Blue Jays could be the one team standing for him. Last year, they were one of the last remaining teams in Ohtani’s sweepstakes.
With the Toronto-based outfit finishing last in the American League East standings with a 74-88 record in the 2024 season, they would be desperate to turn things around. A move to the Blue Jays could see him play alongside one of his friends Vladimir Guerrero Jr., though it could be for a short time as the slugger himself is expected to become a free agent next winter.
#7 Tampa Bay Rays
One of the most surprising teams to participate in the race of Soto is the Tampa Bay Rays. The team who at the moment does not have a roof above their head (quite literally as their home stadium was damaged due to Hurricane Milton) has emerged as one of the seven favorites to sign him.
The Rays did offer a huge six-year $150 million contract to Freddie Freeman when he left the Atlanta Braves. However, to sign Soto, they might have to splash around four times more than they intended to grab the attention of the outfielder and his agent Scott Boras.
As per Jon Heyman, four more teams have emerged as likely candidates to sign Soto. However, their identity has not been revealed yet.
Could Soto join the Chicago Cubs? Could he make a sensational return to one of his former teams, the Washington Nationals, and the San Diego Padres or could he play in the city of Brotherly Love of Philadelphia and join the Phillies? Only time will reveal the answer to the question of where Soto signs in 2025.
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Vinay Dave
(1737 Articles Published)