Surprise Team Now Another Contender For Chicago Cubs Prized Free Agent Target

There is now a new team in the running to land the Chicago Cubs potential superstar free agent target this offseason.

Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) walks during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have a chance to make a huge splash this offseason with a very deep free agency class that features tons of star players.

If they want to bolster their starting rotation, they can go after past Cy Young winners Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell. If they want to add more power to their lineup, Pete Alonso and Christian Walker are hitting the open market.

And if they want to bring a superstar in his prime to this franchise, Juan Soto is available.

The phenom outfielder would be a massive addition for this Cubs team, giving them a franchise cornerstone they can build around as multiple top prospects in their farm system are close to being featured players on this roster going forward.

If they pony up the money it will take to land Soto, Chicago can start trading away the surplus of outfielders they currently have to bring in upgrades across their bullpen, infield and catcher position.

Of course, the finances are going to be the biggsest hurdle.

The Cubs haven't shown a willingness to offer the high-end contracts it takes to land the superstar players who have hit the market in recent years, and based on a new report from insider Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, a new team with money to burn has entered the sweepstakes for Soto.

"The Yankees haven't hidden their desire to have him return. The crosstown Mets, with the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen, could be beckoning. The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to strongly pursue him to team up with Boras client Bryce Harper. The Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, who were left at the altar in the Ohtani bidding war last winter, will now turn their attention to Soto," he wrote.

Largely, the majority of those teams aren't suprises.

It's long been known the New York Mets would love to land Soto, stealing him away from the New York Yankees who also want to re-sign him to a long-term deal. The Philadelphia Phillies have an advantage based on relationships Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and their hitting coach, Kevin Long, have from their time with the Washington Nationals. The San Francisco Giants have been searching for a star player the past few cycles, and weren't able land one.

But it's the Toronto Blue Jays that stands out from this report.

That franchise was willing to spend the amount of money it would have taken to land Shohei Ohtani, but after a disappointing year where they seemed to be considering a teardown rebuild, it sounds like they want to go "all in" and land Soto.

With their ability to spend, that should only push up the contract these top-spending teams will be offering that could take Chicago right out of their comfort zone when it comes to making an offer for the superstar outfielder.