Is the MLB offseason hot stove finally heating up? One of the biggest names on the market is drawing significant interest. Juan Soto, one of baseball’s top young stars, has received offers from five teams, including the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a report by Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media. Soto, 26, is considered one of the most coveted free agents this winter, and the fact that multiple teams are already making serious bids for his services is no surprise.
Juan Soto Drawing Major Interest from 5 Teams
According to Miller, all five teams presented contract offers to Soto and agent Scott Boras late last week. Miller also reports that Soto seeks a 15-year deal worth more than $700 million. Notably, such a contract could potentially set a record for a baseball player in terms of both years and money. Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. However, the deferred money in the contract brought his total value to $437,830,563.
The next step will be negotiations between the clubs and Boras. At last week’s owners meetings, Hal Steinbrenner acknowledged feeling pressure from Yankee fans to re-sign Soto. Soto hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Yankees postseason history – a go-ahead, three-run 10th-inning blast against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the ALCS, propelling the Bombers to the World Series. The Yankees lost to the Dodgers in five games.
Soto is three years younger than Ohtani was a year ago. As a four-time All-Star, Soto won a World Series ring and hit 201 home runs across seven seasons with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and Yankees. In 2024, he hit 41 home runs, scored an American League-leading 128 runs, and reached base at a .419 clip while batting ahead of Aaron Judge. Soto finished third in AL MVP voting behind only Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Aside from those five teams, the Philadelphia Phillies were speculated to be in the mix but they didn’t have a conversation with Boras to express interest in Soto. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, and Kansas City Royals have reached out to Soto. However, no meetings between Soto and these clubs have been publicly confirmed.
Main Photo: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
