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 Sequence.

The 25-year-old outfielder is on a Corridor of Fame trajectory and one of many true superstars within the sport at the moment, and his age means his subsequent contract shall be made up largely of prime seasons, slightly 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 thing they will to maintain him round after a incredible 2024 season, however different groups are positive to make a severe push so as to add the most effective gamers to ever hit the open market.

Jon Heyman of the New York Put up listed the Boston Purple 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 probably 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 attempt to determine how a lot it should value so as to add him to the roster.

It will take plenty of zeroes to persuade Juan Soto to signal on the dotted line this winter.

“The trade agrees the ground for his contract shall 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 previous this previous Friday, celebrating his birthday by taking the sector for Sport 1 of the World Sequence.

Meaning the crew that indicators Soto shall be paying for not less than three further prime seasons relative to the common free agent, and that could be a results of Soto debuting when he was nonetheless simply 19 years previous and setting his arbitration clock in movement far before most.

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

It is doubtless going to be a deal of not less than 10 years and will push nearer to fifteen years if that degree of safety is what Soto is on the lookout for this winter.

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

The ten-year, $700 million contract that Shohei Ohtani signed final offseason truly 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.

Just a few 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 house runs, 109 RBI and seven.9 WAR in 157 video games in his first season in Yankee pinstripes.

Who may be keen to satisfy that lofty asking value…

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

These groups will not be shut sufficient to rivalry to be a lovely touchdown spot:

These groups are centered on shedding payroll this offseason:

These groups shall 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 state of affairs that was nearer to taking place than many realized.

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

Soto was in the end traded a month after Seidler died final offseason, but when negotiations had been that far lengthy on a possible extension, he was not less than 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

In the event you’re on the lookout 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 previously, 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 obtained sizzling on the proper time to make an sudden playoff push, however trying on the larger 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 following degree.

Pitching is the energy of the Tigers roster, and whereas signing Tarik Skubal to an extension may also 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 position of president of baseball operations, and he already obtained one main deal executed 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 straightforward, 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 can 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 could definitely transfer the needle for the Giants, however does Soto see them as a viable World Sequence 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 Purple 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 might not assume twice about discovering a method to match Soto into the lineup.

Ideally, a serious offensive addition can be a right-handed hitter to deliver some stability to a lineup that already has left-handed hitters Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers and Triston Casas penciled into outstanding roles, however Soto had an OPS over .900 in opposition to lefties and righties in 2024, so he primarily features as a change hitter.

The largest query right here is whether or not the Purple Sox would prioritize a hitter over shoring up a beginning rotation that wants not less than yet one more 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 can be becoming revenge for the Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury signings, nevertheless it won’t be essentially the most logical transfer for a Purple Sox crew with different obvious 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 finest beginning rotation returning intact, a stacked bullpen and the makings of a very good lineup if a middle-of-the-order bat is added to the combo.

Julio Rodríguez ended the season on a excessive observe after an underperforming for a lot of the yr, and getting him again to taking part in 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 may be 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 regarded like he might be the lacking piece in a title run, so that they have proven a willingness to spend large on the appropriate participant previously.

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 may conceivably make a run at signing Soto this offseason with out going thus far into the posh tax threshold that it bankrupts the group.

Based on Jon Heyman of the New York Put up, 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 is no such thing as 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 value for another person, or if they might significantly prioritize one other famous person bat over shoring up the pitching workers.

Then once more, on the subject of the Dodgers, it isn’t at all times a matter of 1 or the opposite. They might 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 famous person, it is clear the entrance workplace is prepared and keen to spend on the appropriate participant.

Nevertheless, it is truthful 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 offered aggressively on the commerce deadline, however stopped wanting shifting something past rental gamers and some controllable bullpen arms, so 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 may doubtlessly make it the most effective 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 looking 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 matches, until there’s a corresponding transfer to flip Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki for pitching assist.

With one of many deepest farm programs in baseball, main market enchantment and a obvious want for a face-of-the-franchise-level famous person, the Cubs cannot be missed 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 operating 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 kind 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 may also must signal not less than 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 verify off all of these gadgets on the to-do listing whereas nonetheless including Soto to the combo, and at this level, there may be 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 Decide
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 without cost company and Anthony Rizzo prone to have his $17 million membership possibility declined, the New York Yankees lineup goes to have a special 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 virtually 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 Decide and Soto is a dangerous transfer, nevertheless it’s additionally the crew’s finest shot at profitable a title within the close to future, as there may be merely no different possibility that may exchange the influence that Soto makes offensively.

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