Chicago Cubs Are Reportedly No Longer Pursuing Superstar Free Agent Juan Soto

It seems like the Chicago Cubs are no longer going after Juan Soto in free agency.

Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) speaks to the media before game one of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians during the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs are always going to be a club connected to big fish in the free agency market based on their pedigree as a franchise and being a major-market team.

However, they have not operated in that manner recently, opting to stay under the luxury tax despite ownership and the front office stating they are going to build a perennial contender.

That will continue this free agent cycle.

According to Cubs insiders Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, Chicago is no longer in the running to land this year's prize, Juan Soto.

"The Cubs do not intend to deviate from this course, multiple sources told The Athletic, ruling out a pursuit of Juan Soto or Corbin Burnes even before all the baseball executives and agents checked out of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa," they report.

That's disappointing, but not surprising.

The "course" they aren't deviating from is working "within ownership's budgetary parameters" that has seen the Cubs come up short of landing stars in free agency like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and others.

When it comes to Corbin Burnes, there were already hints about Chicago not necessarily going after him this winter, so that news doesn't come as a huge surprise, however, there was some thought that adding Soto to this group of talented youngsters on the roster and within their pipeline could be something they'd consider doing.

But before that dream could even really get going, it has been put to an end.

Instead, they'll look to shore up the fringes of their roster to create some depth that was lacking and maybe pull off a trade or two that brings in someone who can boost this team.

Whether or not that works remains to be seen.