The Giants are among a handful of teams expected to travel to Southern California this week to visit superstar free-agent outfielder Juan Soto, MLB insider Jon Heyman reported Monday.
Also tied to the 26-year-old slugger are the Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox and Yankees, with whom he reached the World Series this fall. Heyman specifically identified the Blue Jays as a team that could swoop in for Soto and added that two “mystery” teams are also expected to meet with Soto.
The Giants have swung and missed with top-of-market free agents in recent offseasons, from Bryce Harper to Aaron Judge to Shohei Ohtani (not to mention the Carlos Correa fiasco). But with Buster Posey replacing Farhan Zaidi as president of baseball operations, their pitch to superstar players will be coming from someone who has more common ground with them. Soto’s decision alone won’t be a referendum on that change, but it is Posey’s first shot at a No. 1 free agent.
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Last year, the Giants pivoted from the Ohtani sweepstakes to sign Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee in December, then-four-time Gold Glove winner Matt Chapman in March and, later that month, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. Snell opted out of the second year of his deal last week and Posey was a key negotiator in Chapman signing a six-year extension in September.
The Giants’ expected inclusion on Soto’s meeting agenda comes less than a week after The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reported that the Giants planned to reduce their payroll in the 2025 season. A Soto signing — expected to be north of $50 million per year — would seemingly fly in the face of that plan.
Posey said last week at the General Managers Meetings that he was focused on adding a shortstop this offseason and using breakout rookie Tyler Fitzgerald elsewhere on the field. Pursuing Soto wouldn’t fill that hole but with Mike Yastzemski and LaMonte Wade both up for arbitration, they could have an outfield spot open for the four-time Silver Slugger.