Juan Soto‘s free agency is nearing its end. Per the latest reports, the sports world will know Soto‘s free agent choice in the coming days, likely following MLB‘s annual Winter Meetings.
Soto spent 2024 with the New York Yankees and led them to the World Series — where they lost in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees and the Dodgers have both made strong pitches to Soto in free agency — but as teams fall all over themselves to sign a generational talent, even the two strongest brands in baseball might fail to win the sprint to sign Soto.
Soto bidding surpasses $700 million
Last December, Shohei Ohtani broke new ground in baseball — and likely kicked off a collective bargaining battle between the players and MLB’s owners — by agreeing to a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Less than a year later, Soto seems poised to surpass that contract if he re-signs with the Yankees or joins the rival New York Mets.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets and Yankees have both offered Soto north of “Ohtani money”, as it becomes clearer that the New York teams are prepared to outbid the field to get the four-time All-Star slugger signed to a long-term contract. However, Heyman notes that the Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays remain in the hunt, even if their offers do not turn out to be quite as lucrative.
Although a recent report has indicated that the Yankees are not among the two “favorites” to get Soto’s signature, Heyman suggests that Soto’s leadership qualities and chemistry with AL MVP Aaron Judge are signs that Soto is comfortable in the defending AL champions’ clubhouse. Those factos could make a deal more achievable for the Yankees.
But whether it is the Yankees, or the Mets, or the Dodgers, the team which ultimately wins the race for Soto is likely to get the Dominican-born outfielder’s best seasons. At just 26 years old, Soto has already clubbed 201 home runs (including a career-high 41 homers in 2024) while taking part in two World Series — winning one with the Washington Nationals in 2019. Soto has led the majors in walks four times in seven seasons, and he is a five-time Silver Slugger winner who has twice finished top three in MVP voting.