Rating Yankees’ Juan Soto’s Prime 10 Touchdown Spots Forward of MLB Free Company

Juan Soto would be the most talked about participant in baseball this offseason as he will get set for his first journey to free company after falling wanting profitable the World Collection.

The 25-year-old outfielder is on a Corridor of Fame trajectory and one of many true superstars within the sport in the present day, and his age means his subsequent contract will likely be made up largely of prime seasons, moderately than having to pay for his late-career decline as is the case with most free brokers who signal long-term offers.

The New York Yankees are anticipated to do every part they’ll to maintain him round after a implausible 2024 season, however different groups are positive to make a severe push so as to add among the finest gamers to ever hit the open market.

Jon Heyman of the New York Submit listed the Boston Pink Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays as seven potential Soto touchdown spots in a video for Bleacher Report.

Forward we have ranked his 10 almost definitely locations—together with these seven groups—in addition to given reasoning for why the opposite 20 groups is not going to be a think about his market this winter.

First issues first, let’s strive to determine how a lot it may value so as to add him to the roster.

It’ll take a number of zeroes to persuade Juan Soto to signal on the dotted line this winter.

“The business agrees the ground for his contract will likely be $500 million,” wrote Jeff Passan of ESPN whereas citing his age as a lot as his ability for the logic behind that determine.

Whereas most gamers attain free company someday round their age-29 or age-30 seasons, Soto simply turned 26 years outdated this previous Friday, celebrating his birthday by taking the sector for Recreation 1 of the World Collection.

Which means the crew that indicators Soto will likely be paying for at the very least three further prime seasons relative to the typical free agent, and that could be a results of Soto debuting when he was nonetheless simply 19 years outdated and setting his arbitration clock in movement far before most.

So what does all of that imply for his asking value?

It is seemingly going to be a deal of at the very least 10 years and will push nearer to fifteen years if that degree of safety is what Soto is searching for this winter.

He reportedly declined a 15-year, $440 million extension provide from the Washington Nationals again in 2022, and he has finished nothing to warrant his wage expectations dropping within the years since, so he will likely be aiming increased than that determine.

The ten-year, $700 million contract that Shohei Ohtani signed final offseason really carries a present-day value of round $460 million when the entire deferred cash is taken under consideration, and that may be a quantity Soto goals to exceed.

A number of weeks in the past, I predicted a 15-year, $600 million deal in an article figuring out the main candidates to affix baseball’s $100 million membership this offseason, and that might be the ceiling for his incomes energy.

That’s the kind of determine that’s going to be thrown round this winter for a participant who hit .288/.419/.569 for a 178 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 41 residence runs, 109 RBI and seven.9 WAR in 157 video games in his first season in Yankee pinstripes.

Who is perhaps keen to fulfill that lofty asking value…

These groups don’t spend at a degree that may permit them to pursue Soto:

These groups should not shut sufficient to rivalry to be a horny touchdown spot:

These groups are centered on shedding payroll this offseason:

These groups will likely be extra centered on the pitching market than on including one other bat:

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. 1B Luis Arraez
2. RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
3. LF Juan Soto
4. 3B Manny Machado
5. CF Jackson Merrill
6. SS Xander Bogaerts
7. 2B Jake Cronenworth
8. DH Eguy Rosario
9. C Luis Campusano

It is a lengthy shot to assume Soto will return to the San Diego Padres, however him nonetheless carrying a Padres uniform is a situation that was nearer to taking place than many realized.

“[Padres owner] Peter [Seidler] and I have been knee-deep in Juan Soto [contract] discussions,” agent Scott Boras told reporters. “Nicely superior. His sickness actually stopped the method as a result of we knew the group could be completely different. He wished to push it by way of though he was unwell.”

Soto was finally traded a month after Seidler died final offseason, but when negotiations have been that far lengthy on a possible extension, he was at the very least open to the concept of spending the remainder of his profession in San Diego.

That is cause sufficient to fit them at No. 10 in these rankings.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. CF Parker Meadows
2. LF Juan Soto
3. RF Riley Greene
4. 3B Matt Vierling
5. DH Kerry Carpenter
6. 1B Spencer Torkelson
7. 2B Colt Keith
8. SS Trey Sweeney
9. C Jake Rogers

If you happen to’re searching for a real darkish horse within the Juan Soto market, look no additional than the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers have waded into the deep finish of free company up to now, signing Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million deal as soon as upon a time, whereas additionally shelling out 9 figures on the ill-fated Jordan Zimmermann and Javier Báez contracts.

They received scorching on the proper time to make an surprising playoff push, however trying on the greater image the offense ranked nineteenth within the majors in runs scored, and discovering a real offensive star to fit alongside up-and-comers like Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Colt Keith would take a crew on the rise to the subsequent degree.

Pitching is the energy of the Tigers roster, and whereas signing Tarik Skubal to an extension can even be an costly precedence, Soto might be that lacking piece that pushes them excessive.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. CF Jung Hoo Lee
2. DH Heliot Ramos
3. LF Juan Soto
4. 3B Matt Chapman
5. 1B LaMonte Wade Jr.
6. SS Tyler Fitzgerald
7. RF Mike Yastrzemski
8. C Patrick Bailey
9. 2B Casey Schmitt

The Giants have persistently whiffed of their pursuit of top-tier free brokers, however there’s a new entrance workplace in place with Buster Posey now within the function of president of baseball operations, and he already received one main deal finished when Matt Chapman was signed to a brand new six-year, $151 million deal.

Convincing Soto to come back to a pitcher-friendly ballpark will not be simple, and sharing a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks additionally makes for an uphill battle to climb into the playoff image.

Soto could be the face of the franchise the crew has been missing the previous a number of seasons, and his well-rounded offensive sport makes him much less reliant than most sluggers on energy manufacturing to drive his worth.

It might actually transfer the needle for the Giants, however does Soto see them as a viable World Collection contender within the quick time period?

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. CF Jarren Duran
2. LF Juan Soto
3. 3B Rafael Devers
4. 1B Triston Casas
5. SS Trevor Story
6. RF Wilyer Abreu
7. DH Masataka Yoshida
8. C Connor Wong
9. 2B Ceddanne Rafaela

The Pink Sox have a crowded outfield even with Tyler O’Neill set to depart in free company, with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu set for beginning roles, however they’d not assume twice about discovering a technique to match Soto into the lineup.

Ideally, a serious offensive addition could be a right-handed hitter to deliver some steadiness to a lineup that already has left-handed hitters Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers and Triston Casas penciled into distinguished roles, however Soto had an OPS over .900 towards lefties and righties in 2024, so he basically capabilities as a swap hitter.

The largest query right here is whether or not the Pink Sox would prioritize a hitter over shoring up a beginning rotation that wants at the very least another frontline arm to fit alongside Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Lucas Giolito as soon as he returns from Tommy John surgical procedure.

Stealing Soto from the Yankees could be becoming revenge for the Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury signings, but it surely may not be probably the most logical transfer for a Pink Sox crew with different evident wants.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. RF Victor Robles
2. LF Juan Soto
3. CF Julio Rodríguez
4. C Cal Raleigh
5. DH Randy Arozarena
6. 1B Luke Raley
7. SS J.P. Crawford
8. 3B Josh Rojas
9. 2B Dylan Moore

No crew is in additional determined want of a superstar-caliber offensive participant than the Seattle Mariners, who’ve baseball’s greatest beginning rotation returning intact, a stacked bullpen and the makings of a great lineup if a middle-of-the-order bat is added to the combo.

Julio Rodríguez ended the season on a excessive word after an underperforming for a lot of the yr, and getting him again to enjoying at an MVP-caliber degree alongside Cal Raleigh’s 30-homer energy and a full season of Randy Arozarena offers the Mariners loads of offensive upside.

Nevertheless, slotting Soto into the center of the lineup fully transforms this crew, and is perhaps sufficient to make them clear favorites within the AL West with the Houston Astros at one thing of a crossroads.

The Mariners gave Robinson Cano a 10-year, $240 million deal when it seemed like he might be the lacking piece in a title run, in order that they have proven a willingness to spend large on the proper participant up to now.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. DH Shohei Ohtani
2. RF Mookie Betts
3. LF Juan Soto
4. 1B Freddie Freeman
5. C Will Smith
6. 3B Max Muncy
7. SS Tommy Edman
8. CF Andy Pages
9. 2B Gavin Lux

The inventive nature of Shohei Ohtani’s closely deferred contract means the Los Angeles Dodgers might conceivably make a run at signing Soto this offseason with out going to this point into the posh tax threshold that it bankrupts the group.

In keeping with Jon Heyman of the New York Submit, the Dodgers intend to make a play for Soto in free company “if he is ” in signing with them, and if profitable is a precedence there isn’t a cause to assume Soto will not have an interest.

The larger query is whether or not that is merely posturing on the a part of the Dodgers to assist drive up the worth for another person, or if they’d significantly prioritize one other celebrity bat over shoring up the pitching workers.

Then once more, relating to the Dodgers, it is not all the time a matter of 1 or the opposite. They may signal a high beginning pitcher and Soto if final offseason is any indication of their willingness to spend.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. RF George Springer
2. LF Juan Soto
3. 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
4. SS Bo Bichette
5. CF Daulton Varsho
6. DH Spencer Horwitz
7. C Alejandro Kirk
8. 3B Ernie Clement
9. 2B Will Wagner

No crew suffered extra heartbreak within the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes final offseason than the Toronto Blue Jays, and after making a severe push to signal the two-way celebrity, it is clear the entrance workplace is prepared and keen to spend on the proper participant.

Nevertheless, it is honest to surprise how a disappointing 74-88 file and last-place end within the AL East standings has altered their short- and long-term plans.

They bought aggressively on the commerce deadline, however stopped wanting shifting something past rental gamers and some controllable bullpen arms, in order that they nonetheless have a wealth of veteran expertise on the roster.

Slotting Soto alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would give the Blue Jays a formidable one-two punch, and bounce-back seasons from Bo Bichette and George Springer might probably make it among the finest offenses in baseball.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. LF Ian Happ
2. DH Seiya Suzuki
3. RF Juan Soto
4. 3B Isaac Paredes
5. 1B Michel Busch
6. SS Dansby Swanson
7. 2B Nico Hoerner
8. C Miguel Amaya
9. CF Pete Crow-Armstrong

For a serious market crew with a payroll that ranked seventh within the majors in 2024, the Chicago Cubs are sorely missing in star-caliber expertise and shouldn’t have a real face of the franchise proper now.

Juan Soto might be that man.

The above projected lineup assumes that Cody Bellinger opts out of the ultimate two years and $50 million of his present contract in the hunt for extra assured cash in free company, and that is removed from a positive factor. If he opts in, it is more durable to see how Soto suits, except there’s a corresponding transfer to flip Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki for pitching assist.

With one of many deepest farm methods in baseball, main market attraction and a evident want for a face-of-the-franchise-level celebrity, the Cubs cannot be ignored as a possible touchdown spot for Soto this winter.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. RF Juan Soto
3. 3B Mark Vientos
4. 1B Pete Alonso
5. LF Brandon Nimmo
6. DH Starling Marte
7. 2B Jeff McNeil
8. C Francisco Alvarez
9. CF Tyrone Taylor

Would signing Soto imply the New York Mets are out of the working to deliver again their very own high free agent Pete Alonso?

If the Los Angeles Dodgers taught us something final offseason, it is that one megadeal doesn’t preclude a free-spending proprietor from making a second megadeal, particularly if a type of gamers is keen to signal a creatively structured contract.

With Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Paul Blackburn the one locks for a spot within the 2025 beginning rotation, together with Tylor Megill as a powerful candidate for the No. 4 job, the Mets can even must signal at the very least one high quality beginning pitcher, even with high prospect Brandon Sproat knocking on the door.

Steve Cohen’s willingness to spend makes it cheap to assume the Mets can test off all of these gadgets on the to-do listing whereas nonetheless including Soto to the combo, and at this level, there’s little query they’re the largest menace to the Yankees’ re-signing efforts.

Potential Lineup With Soto

1. 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2. RF Juan Soto
3. CF Aaron Choose
4. C Austin Wells
5. DH Giancarlo Stanton
6. SS Anthony Volpe
7. 2B Oswaldo Cabrera
8. 1B Ben Rice
9. LF Jasson Dominguez

With Gleyber Torres additionally headed at no cost company and Anthony Rizzo prone to have his $17 million membership choice declined, the New York Yankees lineup goes to have a unique look subsequent season, no matter whether or not Soto is re-signed.

That mentioned, these potential departures make bringing him again much more vital.

The reality is, the optics of the Yankees shedding Soto in free company are nearly as large an element as his precise on-field manufacturing, and shedding out on re-signing him for any monetary cause merely can’t be a part of the narrative for the New York entrance workplace.

Tying up a lot cash in Choose and Soto is a dangerous transfer, but it surely’s additionally the crew’s greatest shot at profitable a title within the close to future, as there’s merely no various choice that may substitute the influence that Soto makes offensively.

Quite a bit can change within the coming months, however as issues stand proper now, something in addition to a reunion with the Yankees could be a shock.