The Juan Soto free agency race is heating up, with reports swirling about potential landing spots. There’s a chance Soto could stay in New York, with either the Yankees or the Mets, and the San Francisco Giants have also expressed interest. While every team would love to add Soto to their roster, only a select few have the financial power to make it happen. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Toronto Blue Jays are now in the conversation for Soto’s services.

“Although every team would desire Soto, baseball insiders believe the final contenders will likely be the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and Giants,” Nightengale reported. He added that “the Blue Jays appear to be the popular dark-horse candidate.”

This isn’t entirely unexpected after last offseason’s high-profile pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, when the Blue Jays showed a strong willingness to spend big before he chose the Dodgers. Now, following a challenging season, the Blue Jays need major upgrades, and there may be no better addition than Juan Soto.

Adding Juan Soto would undoubtedly be a massive step toward strengthening the Blue Jays and building a more competitive roster to support Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Soto’s presence would bring star power and offensive firepower, which could help boost the Jays’ chances of reaching postseason success and convincing Guerrero and Bichette that the team is serious about winning.

However, just acquiring Soto might not be enough on its own. While he’d provide a significant offensive upgrade, the Jays still have areas needing improvement, such as pitching depth and bullpen stability. Guerrero and Bichette would likely stay more confident in the team’s trajectory if the Jays pursue a balanced approach, addressing both their offense and pitching. If management shows a commitment to building a well-rounded contender, it would send a strong message to their homegrown stars about the organization’s ambition.

In short, Soto could be a big piece of the puzzle, but a few more additions would likely be necessary to create a team capable of going deep in the playoffs—and keeping Guerrero and Bichette excited about staying with the Blue Jays for the long term.