No matter who represented Juan Soto, the New York Yankees and other teams would still have a tough time signing him. While he’s one of the best free agents ever, and a price tag comes with that, Soto, who Scott Boras represents, doesn’t do any teams a favor.
Boras, notoriously known for being the top agent in Major League Baseball, has typically found a way for his clients to get the top dollar. For Soto, that’s, once again, expected to be the case.
With Boras representing Soto and other top players on the market, Andy McCullough of The Athletic believes he “holds the keys” to the offseason. He added that Soto’s contract is “expected to exceed Shohei Ohtani’s” in present-day value.
“During the past four decades, no agent has before more effective at extracting money from baseball’s ownership class than Boras, even in an era where more and more teams are emphasizing austerity. His clients netted more than $1 billion in free agency after the 2019 season. He figures to easily surpass that number this winter.
“Boras represents eight of the top 16 free agents, according to The Athletic. Soto will command the highest price tag, with a present-day value expected to exceed Shohei Ohtani’s heavily deferred $700 million deal,” McCullough wrote on November 12.
Why Soto’s Price Might Beat Ohtani’s
Outside of Soto being the player he is and just turning 26 years old, Boras will have the benefit of big market teams being interested in him. The New York Yankees understand that the New York Mets and others will have heavy interest in the left-handed slugger.
If the Mets, Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers are the final three teams in the mix, that won’t benefit anyone around baseball besides Soto and Boras, which is exactly what the super agent wants.
McCullough added that the Dodgers plan to open a spot in the corner outfield, which would give them a clear position for Soto and ultimately raise his price.
“Soto was projected by The Athletic’s Tim Britton to secure a 13-year, $611 million contract. Given Soto’s importance to the Yankees and Cohen’s endless trunks of money, that estimate may prove low. And the market may not be limited to New York.
“The Dodgers intend to move Mookie Betts back to the infield, which creates a convenient opening in the corner outfield. Even if the Dodgers only linger around the proceedings, their presence could drive up Soto’s price,” McCullough wrote.
Boras Will ‘Determine’ MLB Offseason
For every team in Major League Baseball looking to make a significant move, they might have to wait until Soto decides where he wants to play. The New York Yankees will be impacted by that.
With the chance of them losing out on players because of Soto’s decision coming late in the offseason, it could become an issue.
“On the final day in San Antonio, as executives scattered across the country, the New York Post reported that Boras and Soto would soon host a visitor in Newport Beach: Steve Cohen.
“Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, was scheduled to pay his own visit soon after. The baseball world is still willing to come to Boras. The rest of the winter will determine the strength of his gravitational pull,” McCullough wrote.
While losing out on players is a real possibility, Soto is worth the wait.
The Yankees need him and should be willing to do whatever it takes to re-sign him.
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