The high-profile free agency courting of Juan Soto has taken another turn over the last few days.
According to various reports, Soto is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Southern California on Tuesday. Agent Scott Boras is located in Orange County — Newport Beach specifically. This comes on the heels of other meetings he’s reportedly had with the likes of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Mets, and the New York Yankees.
The thought of Soto signing with the Dodgers seems a bit farfetched. If he’s to haul in a deal worth $650 million, it’s unknown how LA could afford that price tag. This is especially the case considering the existing contracts with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and others.
Still, if you’re the Dodgers, it doesn’t hurt to do your due diligence in meeting with arguably the best hitter on the planet.
The fit with the Dodgers is an obvious one from a talent standpoint. At only 26 years of age, Soto is just tipping into his prime. When you have a chance to get a generational player of this ilk, you do it.
At the same time, getting Soto would provide some interesting challenges. You can envision a scenario where he’ll be moved to become an everyday Designated Hitter. His fielding is generously below average, and it’s something the Dodgers would have to live with at either corner spot.
Well, the DH spot will be occupied by Shohei Ohtani for the next decade. Barring one of them moving to first base once Freeman retires, there’s limited flexibility as to where you’d slot Soto. As we’ve seen for years with this regime, the Dodgers prioritize flexibility perhaps over everything else.
Landing Soto would in all likelihood end the partnership between LA and Teoscar Hernandez. We saw the impact Hernandez made on the field. He provided the Dodgers with some real thump versus left-handed pitching. Hernandez had numerous clutch hits in postseason play. He also was a real leader within this team, and the chemistry he brought was undeniable.
All of this could be for naught. LA likely will be used as leverage for a host of free agents. While Soto would be a great get, he’s not a need for this roster. The Dodgers would like to add at least one more starting pitcher along with re-signing Hernandez and a few others. The two New York clubs likely remain the favorites to sign Soto.
However, the thought of a lineup featuring Ohtani, Betts, Soto, and Freeman is utterly terrifying.
