Juan Soto is the biggest name of the 2024-25 MLB offseason and his dance card is filling up accordingly. Each of the league’s biggest spenders are reportedly in pursuit of a free-agent slugger who just finished up another All-Star season in his single year with the New York Yankees.
Soto is expected to challenge for a contract worth somewhere between the stated value of Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking deal ($700 million) and the actual value of the contract when adjusting for inflation and deferrals (somewhere around $440 million). It’s going to be a titanic piece of paper, the only question is which team’s name will be on there.
As such, people are very interested in Soto’s schedule for this week. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, four teams have meetings with Soto and mega-agent Scott Boras, though that probably doesn’t mean the other 26 teams are out of the running.
Let’s take a look at each of those four teams, what they bring to the table for Soto and how seriously we’re taking them as candidates for his services.
Toronto Blue Jays
Serious meter: 3/5
Let’s rewind to about a year ago, when the Blue Jays appeared to be on the verge of landing Ohtani. Countless MLB fans were following a flight tracker supposedly containing the Japanese superstar as if it was the lunar module, and the whole thing ended being a mildly embarrassing lesson in scrutinizing reports in a high-stakes media environment.
Still, it was never disputed the Jays were willing to meet Ohtani’s price. He just liked what the Dodgers brought to the table more. And now, Toronto gets a shot at another superstar.
It’s easy to forget the Blue Jays are a large-market team, but they are. They have money, and plenty of reason to spend big right now. The team took a step back this year after four straight competitive seasons and will be trying to win again in 2025, which is shaping up to be a make-or-break year.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a free agent after next season, and the best way to make this year count would be to add another elite bat. Soto is also a good friend of Guerrero, whom the Jays will want to keep as happy as possible.
New York Mets
Serious meter: 5/5
There is a good chance the bidding war for Soto will come down to who’s more willing to drop stupid money. The Mets would have the advantage there.
Mets owner Steve Cohen, the richest owner in baseball, has made very clear he is willing to ignore all rational business sense if it turns his childhood team into a World Series winner. Because of that, the…