The Plan B for MLB Groups That Lose Juan Soto Contract Bidding Battle

In line with each Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media and Jon Morosi of MLB.com, 5 groups submitted provides for celebrity outfielder Juan Soto final week—the incumbent New York Yankees, Boston Pink Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

It goes with out saying that solely a kind of groups will in the end signal Soto, who B/R has projected to land a 14-year, $658 million deal that features the possibility to choose out after the 2030 season.

There is not one other participant like Soto that groups will have the ability to pivot to. Given what he is achieved and that he is nonetheless solely 26 years previous, that is the kind of participant who solely turns into a free agent as soon as each 20 years. Simply because these 5 groups are prepared to spend $500+ million on Soto would not essentially imply they are going to make the most of that complete sum of money on different gamers if they do not land the five-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

Nonetheless, 4 out of those 5 groups—and maybe one other who nonetheless appears to be considerably within the combine—should pivot as soon as Soto indicators elsewhere. Here is a have a look at what the Plan Bs might be for all of the perceived Soto suitors.

Plan B: Take cash earmarked for Soto and unfold a few of it round to repair a number of points

The Yankees made it to the World Collection with Soto in 2024, however that took Giancarlo Stanton turning again the clock within the ALCS and Gleyber Torres getting scorching after a disappointing common season. For a lot of the 12 months, the Yankees’ lineup was overly reliant on Soto and Aaron Decide.

Re-signing Soto—who figures to be the most effective hitters in baseball for at the very least the subsequent decade—must be Plan A, B, C and D. However there are additionally different holes to repair, and if Soto leaves, the Yankees can unfold a few of these assets round.

If Soto indicators with the crosstown rival Mets, it will be nice gamesmanship by common supervisor Brian Cashman to show round and signal Pete Alonso to plug the crew’s gap at first base.

Torres is a free agent—one who might probably profit from a change of surroundings. If he departs, Jazz Chisholm Jr. might shift again to his pure place of second base. However that would depart the Yankees with a gap at third base, the place they might think about Alex Bregman or Willy Adames.

Clearly, the Yankees might want to add within the outfield if they do not deliver Soto again, particularly provided that Alex Verdugo can be a free agent. Anthony Santander, Teoscar Hernández, Tyler O’Neill and Jurickson Profar are all free-agent outfielders who might make sense as fallback choices.

Plan B: Signal your personal stars

It is form of tough to promote Soto on going to Toronto—as a lot as town has going for it—once you’re coming off a last-place end within the AL East and your two largest stars are coming into contract years.

Sure, to compete in 2025, the Blue Jays should make additions. Maybe reuniting with the aforementioned Hernández—though he seemingly has a ton of suitors—would make sense. So would making a number of impression additions to the bullpen.

However the largest precedence for president Mark Shapiro and common supervisor Ross Atkins must be to determine what the longer term is with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette. Each might be free brokers after the 2025 season, and it will arguably be organizational malpractice to hold each into their contract years.

Guerrero is coming off of a season by which he hit .323 with 30 dwelling runs, 103 RBI and a .940 OPS, en path to ending sixth in AL MVP voting. On condition that he is solely coming into his age-26 season, re-signing him looks like a no brainer for the Blue Jays.

Possibly it makes a bit extra sense to let issues play out with Bichette, who was restricted to simply 81 video games in 2024 and posted solely a .598 OPS. Letting issues play out with him could be loads simpler in the event that they first signal Guerrero long-term.

If the Blue Jays do not imagine they are going to in the end have the ability to re-sign one or each—significantly Guerrero—it will behoove them to gauge the commerce market. The return for both will probably be increased now than it will be on the commerce deadline.

Plan B: Re-sign Teoscar Hernández

An offseason after signing Shohei Ohtani and with a World Collection in hand, it is form of a flex for the Dodgers to even be within the Soto sweepstakes. Nonetheless, it feels fairly unlikely they’re going to in the end submit the successful bid for Soto.

The Dodgers have already signed two-time Cy Younger Award winner Blake Snell to bolster a rotation that was devastated by accidents in 2024. Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin Could are amongst those that might be again on the mound in 2025 for supervisor Dave Roberts.

The largest want for the Dodgers, significantly if Mookie Betts goes to be returning to the infield, is definite manufacturing from one of many two nook outfield spots. Maybe they will dedicate one of many two nook outfield spots to seeing if James Outman and/or Andy Pages can seize an on a regular basis job. However a kind of two spots must be stuffed by a certain factor like Hernández.

After signing a one-year pillow contract with the Dodgers final offseason, Hernández homered 33 occasions, drove in 99 runs and posted an .840 OPS. He declined the qualifying supply from the Dodgers, which suggests Los Angeles is the one crew who can signal him with out having to give up draft compensation. A return to L.A. is sensible for all events concerned, even when Hernández can have loads of different choices.

Plan B: Signal frontline starter

Whether or not they signal Soto or not, it is encouraging to see the Pink Sox performing just like the Pink Sox for the primary time in half a decade. Boston must be in on each main free agent, however they’ve acted like a crew with restricted assets the previous couple of years.

Soto would thrive at Fenway Park (the place would not he?), and it will be fairly the heist to signal him away from the AL East-rival Yankees. Such a state of affairs nonetheless appears fairly unlikely, although.

Whereas they’ve additionally been connected to Hernández, the Pink Sox do not essentially have the urgent want within the outfield a few of these different golf equipment do. Jarren Durran was probably the most full gamers in baseball this previous season and may play in heart or left subject. Proper fielder Wilyer Abreu posted a .781 OPS and a staggering 17 defensive runs saved in his rookie season. Whereas Ceddanne Rafaela can play all around the diamond, he had 12 DRS in heart subject this previous season versus minus-2 at shortstop, so he is most likely finest suited to play within the outfield. The purpose is, the Pink Sox do not essentially want so as to add a giant outfielder this offseason, as additionally they have Rob Refsnyder as another choice on the bench.

What the Pink Sox do want is one other frontline arm to pair with All-Star Tanner Houck atop their rotation. Corbin Burnes might very nicely be that man, though the Pink Sox have no left-handed starters, so it is laborious to not be intrigued by the match of two-time All-Star Max Fried in Boston.

Plan B: Signal Corbin Burnes and Pete Alonso

Given how hell-bent proprietor Steve Cohen appears on successful a World Collection, the Mets may be the favorites to signal Soto proper now. But when he returns to the Yankees or indicators elsewhere, president of baseball operations David Stearns might nonetheless have a productive offseason.

Step 1: Re-sign Pete Alonso—who we’ve projected will get a five-year, $135 million deal—to be the large bopper in the course of your lineup.

Step 2: Stearns reunites with Burnes, who gained the 2021 NL Cy Younger as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers when Stearns was main that entrance workplace. The B/R contract projection on him is seven years and $224 million.

With the assets of Cohen, the Mets might signal Alonso and Burnes and nonetheless probably deliver again one in every of Luis Severino or Sean Manaea. They might additionally deliver again neither and as an alternative swing a commerce for Garrett Crochet with the Chicago White Sox.

There will probably be disappointment if the Mets do not land Soto, however Stearns would nonetheless have the chance to construct an excellent higher crew in 2025 than the one which reached the NLCS in 2024.

Plan B: Add contact-oriented items to lineup

In contrast to the 5 different groups on this listing, the Phillies have not but reportedly made a proposal to Soto but. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reported late final week that the Phillies do nonetheless hope to satisfy with Soto, although.

Nevertheless, even when the Phillies do meet with Soto, it appears to be extra due diligence than something. Managing associate John Middleton—one of many extra aggressive homeowners within the sport—stated this of a Soto pursuit earlier this offseason.

“I am afraid Juan Soto desires to be in New York, and I do not thoughts being a stalking horse, ” Middleton stated, in accordance with Conor Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“In some unspecified time in the future, if Dave [Dombrowski] and I get that feeling, we’ll most likely say ‘You recognize what, we’re not going to win this’ as a result of we have each been the stalking horse earlier than. And if I had been an agent, I’d do it too. It is a completely good technique. I imply, it is sensible. However on the finish of the day, I simply assume he likes New York.”

Assuming the Phillies do not re-sign Soto, they nonetheless want to change up the combination of their lineup a bit. House runs are nice, however this crew has confirmed to be too reliant on the longball the final couple of postseasons, and they should stability out their lineup a bit.

If third baseman Alec Bohm is traded, there’s going to be loads of dialogue about signing Alex Bregman or Willy Adames. Bregman would definitely add a right-handed bat who would not strike out a ton, though it can likely take a megadeal to land him.

Ha-Seong Kim is an attention-grabbing pivot at third base. He might not be prepared for Opening Day as he recovers from shoulder surgical procedure, however Kim makes contact, steals bases and is a good defender at three completely different spots within the infield.

If the plan is to make use of Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas as a platoon in heart subject, buying and selling for a contact-oriented choice to play left subject like Jake McCarthy or Brendan Donovan would make sense.