As The Big Apple sits on proverbial pins and needles in anticipation of Juan Soto’s ultimate free agency decision, we did get some recent news that could help clear up the picture.
Reported originally by Yankees beat writer Randy Miller, and confirmed by MLB pundit Jon Morosi, Soto has collected official offers from five ballclubs up to this point: Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston and Toronto have consistently been associated with spending this offseason. The Red Sox front office was panned last year for not spending enough money. This doesn’t appear to be the case this year, as Boston is in on several high-priced free agents.
While Boston boasts a lineup heavy with left-handed bats, Soto is a transcendent talent. Toronto’s future is more muddled compared to the other four teams here. Re-signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to go with Soto would be massive for this franchise. Otherwise, with Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette free agents after this season, why would Soto go to Toronto?
The New York teams should still be considered the co-favorites here. We saw the impact Soto had on the Yankees. Losing him to the team across town would be a monumental blow for Hal Steinbrenner and the front office brass. One could make a case that it would sting even more seeing Soto becoming a member of the Mets rather than him inking a deal with the rival Red Sox.
‘Uncle’ Steve Cohen is ready to splash the cash to make the Mets a true World Series contender. Many believe there’s no reasonable way he’ll be outbid by any team in the Soto sweepstakes. Pairing Soto with Francisco Lindor gives New York two strong pillars to build around.
Then, there’s the Dodgers. It’s borderline inconceivable to envision a scenario where he joins a lineup featuring Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman. With Ohtani’s contract being virtually all deferred until his playing days are over, the Dodgers do have the financial flexibility to make a major splash.
In this instance, Soto is more of a luxury than a need. There’s a world where LA is aiming to drive the price up. However, you can never count out the most innovative team in the sport — especially when their pockets aren’t exactly shallow, either.
