The biggest story of the offseason is the free agency of New York Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
Soto has declined multiple contract extensions worth over $400 million in order to land in free agency and now he’s finally there. Most experts expect his contract to be worth north of $600 million, with some speculating that he could land a Shohei Ohtani-esque $700 million deal.
But there are only a handful of teams that can afford that kind of contract. All 30 teams will have interest in Soto, obviously, but only a few teams could consider themselves true realistic fits for the superstar outfielder.
Which teams are the best fit for the $600 million-plus superstar?
Toronto Blue Jays
For the last few months, the top two teams in the Soto sweepstakes were projected to be the Mets and the Yankees. But the third team in just about every insider’s mind has been the Toronto Blue Jays.
Toronto could find the money to bring him in, but it may come at the cost of giving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette contract extensions this offseason. But if Toronto takes that money and brings Soto in, it can figure out contracts for Bichette and Guererro down the line.
San Diego Padres
The Padres could be the ideal spot for Soto to land, but it would have to include some deferred money, much like the Ohtani contract.
San Diego offered Soto a contract extension north of $400 million while he was with the Padres. Ultimately, nothing ever came of it.
Now that Soto’s a free agent, the Padres could offer him a huge $600 million contract that includes some deferred money to sway him back to San Diego.
San Francisco Giants
According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, the Giants could be one of the top landing spots for the superstar outfielder Juan Soto.
San Francisco has to do something to keep up with the Padres and Dodgers in the NL West. Both of these teams spend as aggressively as anybody in baseball. Especially with Shohei Ohtani changing the landscape of baseball by taking $680 million in deferred money, the Giants are going to need to be big spenders or they’re going to sit in the basement of the National League.
Adding Soto would be that big splash. If they need to include some deferred money to make it work, they should.
Philadelphia Phillies
Soto has a history with multiple current Phillies stars. He won a World Series with Trea Turner, and he was also teammates with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber at one point in time.
The Phillies are set to be as aggressive as anybody this offseason with there being some rumored interest in Soto. The issue here is that the Phillies just won’t have the money to match offers from teams like the Yankees and Mets.
Still, their interest in Soto will raise some eyebrows. They’re one of the top teams in the league and would provide Soto with a good chance to win a World Series.
Los Angeles Dodgers
How in the world could the Dodgers find themselves in the sweepstakes to acquire the top superstar in free agency? It’s just a year after they issued Shohei Ohtani a $700 million contract.
But the Dodgers are only paying Ohtani $2 million a year for the next nine years. With that in mind, it’s clear they do have money to issue Soto a contract worth north of $40 million a year for the next decade or so. If Los Angeles gets involved with Soto, I could see them offering a contract that’s incredibly front-loaded to counteract Ohtani’s back-loaded deal.
New York Mets
The top two teams in the Soto sweepstakes will be the two New York teams.
With the Mets, owner Steve Cohen is the richest owner in the history of baseball with a net worth of over $21 billion. In a straight-up bidding war, there’s absolutely nothing stopping Cohen from matching any offer that Soto receives from another team. Outbidding the rich Mets owner may be tough, but there are teams that can match him while offering Soto a better chance to win championships.
New York Yankees
Soto and the Yankees were an absolute perfect match. The city, fans, clubhouse and front office all loved him, while he seemed to love them right back.
Soto helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series berth in over a decade. Bringing him back would help cement the Yankees as World Series contenders for the length of his contract.
New York has the money and can offer Soto a better situation with more comfortability than any other team can. The only way the Yankees miss on Soto is if the front office is cheap and doesn’t match the offers that Soto receives elsewhere. If the money is equal, Soto will remain a Yankee.
More MLB: Could Marquee Rangers Prospect Be On Move In Proposed Trade With Brewers?
The post Predicting Juan Soto’s 7 Most Likely Landing Spots As MLB Hot Stove Heats Up appeared first on Newsweek.
