The Chicago Cubs made some impactful additions to their roster this winter. It seemed like a measured approach as they waited long enough to re-sign Cody Bellinger to a contract they were comfortable with. Did president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer do this to save pennies for outfielder Juan Soto when he hits free agency next winter?
Rich Eberwein of FanSided’s Cubbies Crib discussed three “way too early” Cubs free agent targets on March 16. Soto was the final one he mentioned.
“This is definitely the most unrealistic option, but one that would arguably have the best chance of paying off,” he said. “No matter who gives Juan Soto his next contract, which will be a mega-deal worthy of the record books, there’s little doubt that his employer will be happy because he has proven to produce at the highest level year after year.”
As Soto prepares for 2024 with the New York Yankees, he’s fresh off a stellar 2023 with the San Diego Padres. He hit .275/.410/.519 with 35 home runs, 32 doubles, 109 RBI and 97 runs scored in 708 plate appearances. These numbers led to him winning his fourth Silver Slugger Award. Soto was also elected to his third All-Star Game and finished sixth in National League MVP Award voting.
The market will ultimately determine what kind of deal Soto signs as a free agent. Tim Britton of The Athletic has projected a 14-year, $540 million contract for the 25-year-old.
Soto Would Soften the Blow From Another Potential Bellinger Exit
The Cubs made a big splash for their starting rotation by signing Japanese hurler Shōta Imanaga to a four-year, $53 million deal. However, the biggest signing they made this winter was bringing Bellinger back to the Windy City. Instead of laying out $200-plus million for his services, the Scott Boras client signed a three-year, $80 million deal.
Bellinger can opt-out following 2024 and 2025 to re-test free agency. That’s almost a guarantee to happen next winter if he gets close to replicating the .881 OPS with 26 home runs, 20 steals, 97 RBI and 95 runs scored he produced in 2023.
If the 2019 NL MVP Award winner does want to try and find the long-term deal he couldn’t get this offseason, it’d open up a couple of opportunities for Chicago. One is that there’d be a clear path for top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong to play center field regularly. The other is the Cubs would hypothetically have more money in the budget to make a play for Soto.
There Will Be Stiff Competition From New York
Every MLB team could use a hitter like Soto in their lineup. However, only certain organizations are willing and able to afford his expected lofty price tag. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer ranked 10 early Soto free-agent landing spots on March 1. The vast majority of them were big-market teams willing to stretch their budget for the left-handed slugger.
Rymer slotted the Cubs fifth. The teams ahead of them include the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees and New York Mets. Both New York squads were listed as the top two options. Soto’s free agency is still a full regular season and postseason away, but a potential bidding war in the Big Apple is already brewing.
That kind of competition could rise the price for the outfielder’s next contract even higher than that $540 million projection. If that happens, it’ll be interesting to see which clubs are willing to do so and if the Cubs are one of them.
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