Of the several players available in free agency this offseason, Juan Soto stands above the rest, and with that has come plenty of interest from teams.
Soto is on pace to be one of the great players in MLB history, as he’s been a consistent force in the league since making his debut at 19 years old. In seven seasons, he’s batted .285/.421/.532 with 201 home runs, 592 RBI and a combined 36.4 bWAR.
Players of Soto’s caliber don’t hit free agency very often, and why the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the mix, mainly because of the rare opportunity.
However, there is widespread competition for Soto, as his market is rightfully robust, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
Seven teams that have called on Juan Soto are known, and while one is a major surprise — the homeless-at-the-moment Tampa Bay Rays — the other six are all major-market teams that have big payrolls and presumably a much better shot than the surprising Rays.
The Tampa Bay Rays have an estimated payroll of $88 million for the 2025 season, and without a big name star in house, they’d be an off-the-wall choice. Soto has performed at each stop, with his worst years coming with the San Diego Padres from 2022-2023, when he batted .265/.405/.488 with 41 home runs and 125 RBI.
Soto’s decision is presumed to be to whichever team offers the most money, and possibly a chance to win each season. With the destinations available, the defending World Series champions are keeping their name in the conversation.
Soto’s reported preference of playing for an East Coast team could be a reason why he wouldn’t sign with the Dodgers, or any team on the West Coast. But, for a player of his caliber, money is likely to be the determining factor.
After playing for the New York Yankees in 2024, ultimately heading to a World Series, they might have the edge to re-sign Soto. If the New York Mets flex the deep pockets that owner Steve Cohen has, he may be heading across town.
Should Juan Soto be on Dodgers’ priority list?
The Dodgers have to see where the talks go, and if they are surface level, without too much traction, pivot back to their original offseason plan.
Teoscar Hernández is still at the top of the list in terms priorities, with the possibility of adding free agent shortstop Willy Adames. The pair of those names would leave the Dodgers with the choice of placing Tommy Edman in center field, and sorting out a platoon in the other corner spot.
Although Soto wasn’t in the main plans, the Dodgers must at minimum find out where he and Scott Boras camp are at.
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