Juan Soto will have his pick of suitors this offseason.
A day after the New York Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that 11 teams have already reached out to agent Scott Boras about Soto’s services, including eight franchises just two hours after Game 5.
Heyman added that Soto’s “new magic number is thought to be $700 million (or more).”
“[A]nd that’s a solid $700M, not the record $700M contract that’s 97 percent deferred that Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani received from the Dodgers,” Heyman wrote.
The Yankees traded for Soto prior to the 2024 season in a blockbuster deal with the San Diego Padres. In his free-agent year, Soto hit the most home runs of his seven-year career (41), scored an American League-leading 128 runs, knocked in 109, had a .989 OPS, a 178 OPS+, and accumulated a 7.9 WAR. If it wasn’t for his teammate Aaron Judge, Soto might have been the AL MVP.
Juan Soto says he’s open for business
Following the Yankees’ season-ending Game 5 loss, Soto addressed his future, telling reporters that he’s essentially open for business.
“I don’t know what’s the teams that are going to come after me. Definitely, I’ll be open to this and every single team. I don’t have any doors closed,” Soto said. “I’m going to be available for all 30 teams… I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency. I don’t want to say anyone has an advantage because, at the end of the day, we’re going to look at what they have and how much they want me.”
Juan Soto was asked if he expects the Mets to go after him in free agency:
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) October 31, 2024
"I don't know what's the teams that are going to come after me. Definitely, I'll be open to this and every single team. I don't have any doors closed. I"m gonna be available for all 30 teams pic.twitter.com/3VICeWeney
Despite sending chills through Yankees fans with that comment, Soto did say he enjoyed his time in the Bronx.
“I’m really happy with the city, with the team, how these guys do. At the end of the day, we’re going to look at every situation, every offer that we’ll get, and take the decision from there,” Soto added.
Soto, who will only be 26 when the 2025 season begins, is expected to be pursued by the Yankees, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers, among others.