REPORT: Surprise Front-Runner Emerges To Sign Yankees Superstar Juan Soto In Free Agency

Juan Soto (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
A surprise team has emerged as an early front-runner to win the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes.

Juan Soto had an MVP-caliber season in his first season with the New York Yankees, leading them to a World Series appearance. The Pinstripes were ousted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, however, and speculation has quickly ramped up about Soto’s future in the Bronx.

In 2022, reports emerged that Soto rejected a $440 million extension while he was with the Washington Nationals. At only 26 years of age, Soto is a sure bet to land at least half a billion dollars on his next deal.

Big-market and high-spending teams like the Yankees, Dodgers and New York Mets have already been floated as the early favorites to win the Soto sweepstakes. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, however, there’s another AL East team to monitor in the Soto chase.

Speaking on Sportsnet’s “Blair & Barker” show, Passan mentioned the Toronto Blue Jays as a potential landing spot, as he believes that the Yankees slugger “would be serious about” signing with them:

“One curiosity I have is how serious (the Blue Jays) are about Soto, because I think Soto would be serious about them.”

Additionally, MLB insider Héctor Gómez reports that Toronto will go “all out to” offer” Juan Soto the contract that he wants.

The Blue Jays heavily pursued Shohei Ohtani last year, and there was brief optimism in Toronto that he would choose them over the Dodgers. LA, of course, won the sweepstakes by signing him to a record-setting $700 million contract.

If you’re going to lose out on the Ohtani sweepstakes, the best possible consolation prize would be winning the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes.

Juan Soto Would Make Blue Jays World Series Contenders

It remains to be seen what the Jays will do with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, who are entering the final year of their respective deals. But if Toronto were to land Soto, they would unquestionably emerge as a front-runner to win the 2025 World Series.

Soto is a top-three player in baseball. Guerrero is coming off his best season since 2021, again cementing himself as one of baseball’s premier stars. Together, these two would help Toronto re-emerge an AL powerhouse.