The New York Yankees are preparing for Game 3 of their American League Division Series matchup with the Kansas City Royals on October 9. But even with the Bombers in the postseason, the rumors about outfielder Juan Soto and his impending free agency keep coming.
Could the Toronto Blue Jays surprise everyone by making the left-handed slugger an offer he can’t refuse?
An unidentified former teammate of Soto said, “Look for the Blue Jays to make an astronomical offer. I heard it with my own ears,” according to NJ.com’s Randy Miller, who specified that the player was not playing in the postseason and shares an agent, Scott Boras, with Soto.
“The Blue Jays think Soto would be perfect for their lineup and team. I know their management thinks Soto and [Vladimir] Guerrero for them would be what Soto and (Aaron) Judge were like this year for the Yankees,” the player said, according to Miller in an October 9 story.
Would Soto seriously consider Toronto if they put the best offer on the table?
“I don’t know,” the unidentified former teammate said, according to Miller. “I’ve told him, ‘Don’t go somewhere where you’re not going to win.’ But I don’t know what he’s going to do. Nobody does.”
Blue Jays Have Shown They’re Capable of Affording Juan Soto
Soto won’t turn 26 years old until the end of October. However, he’s consistently been among baseball’s best hitters since he debuted as a 19-year-old in 2018. This past season with the Yankees was among his best. He hit .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 31 doubles, 109 RBI and 128 runs scored in 713 plate appearances.
He’s a four-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner who also has plenty of postseason experience after winning the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals. Just about every team would love to pencil him into their lineup every day, but only a few are willing and able to afford him.
The Yankees and New York Mets have consistently been seen as the top contenders for Soto. However, the Blue Jays have shown a willingness to offer record-breaking money to get a player they covet. They were among the finalists for Shohei Ohtani last winter before he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They didn’t lose out on the two-way superstar because their contract offer wasn’t good enough. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that both the Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants were on board with the contract terms Ohtani ultimately agreed to with Los Angeles.
What Could an ‘Astronomical Offer’ for Juan Soto Look Like?
Simply saying Toronto is weighing the idea of presenting an “astronomical offer” for Soto is vague. What exactly could it look like?
In Passan’s early MLB free agency preview, he said many agree the floor for Soto’s next contract is $500 million. The possibility of a bidding war between seriously interested teams is quite high.
While polling executives, agents and insiders about Soto’s free agency on June 11, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel had someone predict a 10-year, $655 million deal for the outfielder.
Time will tell if the bidding war for Soto reaches those heights and how involved Toronto will be. Soto’s former teammate heard the organization is “desperate to contend again next season and willing to spend big-big money in the offseason to improve their roster.” In addition to trying to sign Soto, that would also include extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Blue Jays appear to be fighting an uphill battle for the outfielder this winter. Anything can happen once free agency starts, though.
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