MLB free agency rumors are in full swing, but many deals are on hold until Juan Soto makes his decision. As expected, the New York Yankees slugger has a wealth of options, whether it’s returning to his current/former team or signing with the Dodgers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, or Mets, to name a few.
While we don’t know where Soto is headed quite yet, one thing that is obvious is that the four-time All-Star will easily land the biggest contract in MLB free agency this offseason. But just how much money will Soto sign for?
Juan Soto bidding tops $600 million, begins eliminating teams
Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Which team will sign Juan Soto in MLB free agency? It’s a multi-million-dollar question. While the Soto rumors are dominating the baseball landscape, the 26-year-old Dominican native is getting a lot closer to making a decision.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Soto has begun eliminating some teams from consideration, but it is not known which ones are out of the running quite yet. In other news, the Soto free agency bidding has already topped $600 million, which could be why some teams have dropped out.
The floor for Juan Soto is $600 million. The bidding for the free-agent MLB outfielder has surpassed that amount, according to two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly. Agent Scott Boras said Tuesday at Dodger Stadium that Soto has started the process of eliminating potential landing spots, but did not specify which ones.
Each of the teams still in contention have presented Soto with at least a $600 million offer. Current industry expectations point to Soto making his decision before the end of the Winter Meetings and possibly even before they begin on Sunday.
Yet, Boras doesn’t expect an “imminent” decision from his top client in free agency.
“When you’re going through these things, he’s just got a lot of information to meld through. We’ve had meetings with a number of franchises. He’s begun the process of eliminating teams and doing things. Juan is a very methodical thinker, so we’ll see, but I don’t think anything is imminent in the near future.”
Other indications have suggested the Mets are the favorite to land Soto, thanks to owner Steve Cohen’s aggressive approach and potential willingness to top “any rival bid.” Yet, it’s hard to imagine the Yankees losing one of their biggest star attractions to their New York rivals.
