• Wed. Dec 11th, 2024

Latest update: Five teams, including the Blue Jays, have extended contract offers to Juan Soto.

ByAdmin

Nov 26, 2024 #Toronto Blue Jays

Five teams have made contract offers to free agent Juan Soto, according to NJ.com’s Randy Miller. The teams include the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees. Jon Morosi confirmed the report early Tuesday.

Juan Soto is widely regarded as the top player on the free-agent market. Last season with the Yankees, the 26-year-old posted impressive numbers, slashing .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs in 713 plate appearances. He also walked more (18.1%) than he struck out (16.7%) and finished with a career-high 8.1 fWAR and a 180 wRC+.

The most surprising team to offer Soto a contract is the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions. Having defeated Soto and the Yankees in the World Series, the Dodgers have already spent over $1.4 billion last offseason on players like Teoscar Hernández, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani.

The Blue Jays, who were considered a finalist for Ohtani last offseason before he signed with the Dodgers, are expected to be heavily involved in the pursuit of Soto. The Jays are in need of a superstar bat to complement Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and adding one of the game’s best hitters would address their need for power in the outfield. Although Toronto is seen as a dark horse, they have the resources to make a competitive offer.

However, the New York Mets are considered the favorites to sign Soto, given owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets. The Yankees, having reached the World Series with Soto, will always be a contender to sign him. Lastly, the Boston Red Sox are also considered a sleeper team, with a strong farm system that could be leveraged to bolster their roster alongside Soto.

Despite the intense interest from multiple teams, it’s still uncertain when Juan Soto will finalize his deal or which team he will choose. However, it’s expected that Soto will make a decision by the conclusion of the Winter Meetings on December 12.

By Admin

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