Fastball

Juan Soto Makes Silver Slugger History as Toronto Blue Jays Ramp Up Pursuit

We know that the Blue Jays are meeting with Soto in California as they look to add another star into their lineup.

Brady Farkas

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) hits a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) in the third inning for game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct 26.
New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) hits a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) in the third inning for game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct 26. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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On Tuesday night, free agent slugger Juan Soto won his fifth career Silver Slugger Award, tying Mike Trout for the most ever by a player before turning 26 years old. Sarah Langs of MLB.com had that note on social media. Soto turned 26 during the World Series, but was 25 at the end of the regular season.

After being traded last offseason from the San Diego Padres, Soto put together an incredible year with the New York Yankees. He paired with Aaron Judge to make the most feared duo in the American League and hit .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBI.

Already a seven-year veteran with the Washington Nationals, Padres and Yankees, Soto is a career .285 hitter. The active leader in on-base percentage (.421), he also has 201 home runs. A four-time All-Star, he's also a batting champion and a World Series champion (2019).

A free agent now, Soto is set to command the biggest contract in baseball history for someone not named Shohei Ohtani. And it's possible that he actually tops Ohtani's $700 million deal as well.

Thus far, we know that the Toronto Blue Jays are set to meet with Soto first, followed by the Boston Red Sox, Yankees and New York Mets. The Jays were in on the Ohtani sweepstakes last year, so they certainly have the capital to compete financially. They are said to be looking for a star to pair with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the middle of the order.

Toronto finished last in the American League East at 74-88 this past season.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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