Toronto Blue Jays Described as a "Dark Horse" For Superstar Juan Soto in Free Agency

The Blue Jays have cast a wide net in free agency thus far, but the odds don't seem to be in their favor with regards to the biggest prize.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) before playing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct 28. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have met with - and made an offer to - superstar free agent Juan Soto. That said, they appear to be on the outside looking in in terms of the ability to actually land him this offseason.

Per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet:

Their interest is real and they have made an offer in the initial blind bidding, but sources describe them as a dark horse, at best. Industry-wide, the Mets are viewed as favourites and the Yankees are seen as a legitimate option to win the competition about to unfold.

After falling short in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes last offseason, the Blue Jays appear destined to fall short again. That is, unless they drastically overpay to woo Soto North of the Border. If they are unable to land Soto, they could turn their attention to Anthony Santander and Alex Bregman, who they also both reportedly have interest in.

The Blue Jays are coming off a season in which they finished last in the American League East at 74-88. The offense struggled, as Bo Bichette was injured for half the year and only hit .225 when he did play. Furthermore, George Springer and Daulton Varsho both failed to really get going.

If the Jays are able to land a significant piece to pair with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it would go a long way towards making them competitive in a deeply-talented division.

There have been reports that Soto could sign by the time the winter meetings are done, so the Jays likely won't have to wait long to see if they need to pivot their offseason plans.

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