Will the Toronto Blue Jays open their wallets for New York Yankees All-Star Juan Soto after falling short on Shohei Ohtani last year?
Last December, Blue Jays fans were abuzz, believing the team had secured the two-way superstar when MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweeted that Ohtani was on his way to Toronto. This sparked a frenzy, with fans tracking flights from Southern California to Toronto in hopes of spotting Ohtani’s arrival.
But it was all a misunderstanding—Ohtani was actually at home in California, and the jet fans were tracking belonged to “Shark Tank” investor Robert Herjavec. After the dust settled, Ohtani ended up signing a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the largest contract in sports history.
How much will Toronto Blue Jays reportedly offer Juan Soto?
Still feeling the sting from missing out on Shohei Ohtani, the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly preparing to pursue another generational talent—Juan Soto. According to NJ.com, the Blue Jays are expected to present Soto with an “astronomical offer” that could be in the range of 15 years and $600 million once the offseason begins. A former teammate of Soto, who shares agent Scott Boras, indicated that Toronto is serious about making a strong bid for the superstar.
After the Yankees’ Game 3 ALDS victory over the Kansas City Royals, NJ.com asked Soto about the rumors. He responded, “I don’t know anything about that. They can’t talk to me now. Let’s see what happens in the offseason.”
Tim Britton from The Athletic estimates that Soto’s contract could be around 14 years and $560 million.
Soto had a stellar regular season, finishing with a 7.8 WAR (wins above replacement), an OPS of .989, 178 OPS+, 41 home runs, 109 RBI, and 128 runs scored, making him a strong contender for the AL MVP title—if not for his teammate Aaron Judge. In the ALDS against the Royals, Soto hit .286 with a .746 OPS. The Yankees will face the winner of the Detroit Tigers/Cleveland Guardians series in the ALCS starting Monday in New York【50†source】【51†source】.