The Juan Soto sweepstakes are starting to heat up as several teams recently met with the All-Star outfielder and his representation to let their interest be known.
According to multiple reports, the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays all held in-person conversations with Soto over the last week or two.
It has since been reported that those five teams have submitted initial contract offers.
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, contract offers for Soto will go through multiple rounds and he could potentially sign during the Winter Meetings in Dallas:
MLB teams vying for the services of star free agent outfielder Juan Soto were expected to submit their preliminary contract offers this week, a league source told The Athletic on Tuesday morning. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
The offers were expected to separate serious suitors from wishful thinkers, with perhaps a second, more serious round to follow next week. Soto’s camp could be looking toward deciding on a team sometime around the Winter Meetings, which begin Dec. 9 in Dallas.
Soto has taken a deliberate approach in free agency to this point, but there should be more clarity on his situation as the calendar turns to December.
Soto is expected to sign one of the richest contracts in MLB history, with a total value that could potentially exceed $600 million.
There have been reports that Soto prefers to stay on the East Coast, but he is most focused on maximizing his earnings. The 26-year-old also wants to develop a good relationship with the owner of the team he chooses.
Does Blake Snell impact Dodgers with Juan Soto?
The Dodgers made the first major splash of the offseason by reportedly signing Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract that includes deferrals.
Even after that hefty expenditure, the team remains in the mix to sign Soto. Though, they are considered to be behind the likes of the Yankees and Mets in the sweepstakes.
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