The story of MLB free agency so far this offseason has centered around Juan Soto and the handful of teams that recently secured meetings with the All-Star outfielder.
According to multiple reports, Soto and his agent Scott Boras held in-person conversations with contingents from the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Some have continued to assert Mets owner Steve Cohen will not be outbid in his quest to lure Soto from the Bronx to Queens.
There also have been indications the Red Sox are determined to make a splash in free agency this winter after trimming payroll in recent seasons.
According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, Soto contract offers were submitted by the Dodgers, Red Sox, Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays:
The Juan Soto sweepstakes is down to five teams that have offers on the table to the Yankees’ free agent outfielder, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media on Monday.
The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and Blue Jays presented contract offers to agent Scott Boras late last week, the person said.
The Blue Jays are arguably the most surprising of the group, but they were involved in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes one year ago. That concluded with misguided, and outright false, reports of Ohtani at one point being aboard a private plan that was headed to Toronto so he could sign with the Blue Jays.
Ohtani instead was in Southern California at the time and went on to sign a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Soto’s contract is not expected to exceed Ohtani’s in overall total, but he could potentially surpass it in length and present day value.
What is the Dodgers’ contract offer for Juan Soto?
It’s not yet clear if the Dodgers’ contract presented to Soto is a long-term deal or shorter in years but at a higher average annual value. It’s a strategy president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has attempted to utilize in the past, most notably with Bryce Harper.
Despite initial reports that Soto preferred to remain on the East Coast, it most recently was suggested he would prioritize contract terms over geography. Being part of a World Series contender and forming a strong relationship with the front office and ownership group also were said to be key factors for Soto.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting the Dodgers appear to be the only West Coast team that made a contract offer to Soto.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
