While there have already been a few notable signings in free agency so far this offseason, most of the attention remains on Juan Soto as he potentially inches closer to making a decision.
The 26-year-old is expected to sign one of the richest contracts in MLB history, with a total value that could potentially exceed $600 million.
It is believed that Soto has received contract offers from several big-market teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees. However, contract offers for Soto will reportedly go through multiple rounds before he chooses his next team.
According to Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, Soto is on track to sign either in final days before or during the Winter Meetings in Dallas that will be held from Dec. 8-12:
Juan Soto appears on a timetable to decide on where to sign either before or during baseball’s winter meetings in Dallas, which run from Dec. 8-12.
Soto is projected to sign a long-term contract that could take him to the end of his career, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that he has taken a deliberate approach in free agency to this point.
There’s some belief that Soto prefers to stay on the East Coast, but he reportedly is more focused on maximizing his earnings. The 26-year-old also wants to develop a good relationship with the owner of the team he chooses.
The Yankees and Mets are widely considered the co-favorites to sign Soto, but the Dodgers and Red Sox can’t be ruled out either. The Toronto Blue Jays could also be a dark horse team for Soto after they made a strong push to sign Shohei Ohtani last offseason.
Dodgers more likely to re-sign Teoscar Hernández over Juan Soto
After reportedly signing Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract, the Dodgers remain in the mix for Soto.
However, some around baseball believe the more likely scenario is the team re-signing Teoscar Hernández.
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