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Nearly a year after the media craze that ensued with Shohei Ohtani's free agency, another MLB superstar is weeks away from hitting the open market and setting the baseball offseason ablaze. That player, of course, is Juan Soto, and the team with which he might sign the second-largest contract in North American sports history is…the Toronto Blue Jays?!?!
While the New York Yankees and New York Mets are considered by many to be the frontrunners for Soto, several other teams will take a crack at gaining the 25-year-old's services. Among them are the Blue Jays, who made a run at Ohtani last offseason.
The source of this rumor is an anonymous active player who used to play with Soto. He also shares an agent, Scott Boras. He's heard the murmurs of the Blue Jays digging their heels into an otherworldly Soto bid.
“Look for the Blue Jays to make an astronomical offer,” Soto’s friend said, per Randy Miller of NJ.com “I heard it with my own ears.”
It wasn’t shocking to see the Blue Jays make an offer to Ohtani given the state of the franchise entering last offseason. Toronto was coming off consecutive playoff appearances and won 91 games in 2021 but somehow finished fourth in a stacked AL East.
A 15-win decrease and a last-place finish in 2024 might change the franchise's outlook, especially with multi-time All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette set to become free agents after the 2025 season. That apparently isn’t stopping the Blue Jays from pursuing Soto.
“The Blue Jays think Soto would be perfect for their lineup and team,” the anonymous player said. “I know their management thinks Soto and Guerrero for them would be what Soto and (Aaron) Judge were like this year for the Yankees.”
Juan Soto's 2024 could end with hardware & a monster deal
Talk of Soto's free agency has been ongoing for over a year, but the focus right now isn’t on which team the four-time All-Star will sign with in the offseason. Rather, Soto and the Yankees are locked into a battle with the Kansas City Royals in their AL Division Series.
The Yankees are the betting favorite to win the World Series but they're two losses away from elimination. The next two games of the series are in Kansas City.
Whether a disappointing playoff exit will sway Soto's decision in MLB free agency is up for debate, but the Yankees should offer him the highest bid. For what it's worth, his friend and former teammate doesn’t know what Soto wants or is going to do.
As for the contract, Soto's friend thinks a number starting at $500 million won’t get the job done.
“Too low,” Soto’s friend said. “The number has to start with a six. Soto’s still 25 years old. I also can tell you that I doubt he takes any deferred money.”
That last part is interesting and might force some teams out of contention. Regardless, it will be remarkable to watch as MLB teams jockey for one of the game's premier players this winter.
The anonymous player predicts Juan Soto will sign a 15-year, $600 million contract. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals are also rumored to be in the mix.
