The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off the offseason with the biggest splash of any team, agreeing to terms with Blake Snell on a reported five-year, $182 million contract.
Adding a top-tier starting pitcher was a focus for the Dodgers, and they made sure to get that done early. While their biggest need is filled, the Dodgers are still looking to improve their outfield and now becomes their primary focus.
Los Angeles thus far has most notably been connected to Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernández, and they reportedly submitted an offer to the former. Soto is expected to receive one of the largest contracts in MLB history, so it would not have been surprising to see the Dodgers back out of his market after their agreement with Snell.
However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Dodgers remain involved in negotiations with Soto, even if they’re on the outside looking in for a potential signing:
And while the Dodgers will remain in the mix for free-agent outfielder Juan Soto, if only to jack up the price for the other bidders, signing him was a longshot from the start.
Dodgers don’t appear to be out on Juan Soto even now. Hard to see them as a favorite however. Even this juggernaut of a team with a great business model and huge revenue has to have limits, no?
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 27, 2024
It’s certainly reasonable to think the Dodgers’ primary motivation for negotiating with Soto is to drive up his cost for other clubs, which was also a notion recently suggested by Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
But the Dodgers need to add an outfielder and their continued interest also gives them the opportunity to strike if Soto’s market fails to develop as he hoped. While that remains unlikely, the Dodgers don’t lose anything by remaining involved.
The Dodgers could also try enticing him on a shorter-term, higher average annual value contract that would allow Soto to reach the open market again in a few seasons, setting him up for another massive payday.
While the Dodgers will continue to monitor his market, the New York Mets and New York Yankees have remained the favorite for Soto, and most expect Mets owner Steve Cohen to outbid any other club for his services.
Is Juan Soto delaying Teoscar Hernández?
Hernández has made his intentions of staying in Los Angeles well known, but he will likely have to wait to sign until Soto makes his decision.
It benefits both the Dodgers and Hernández to wait, so there is no real rush to get a deal done. The Dodgers will get to continue making their play for Soto, and if they miss out on him, Hernández will be waiting as the fallback.
From Hernández’s side, once Soto agrees to a contract, teams that missed out may be more desperate for his services and that should result in a bidding war to increase his salary and years.
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