San Francisco Giants Chances of Landing Juan Soto Could Hang on Strange Scenario

The San Francisco Giants have to hope this potential scenario doesn't happen in the playoffs.

Sep 26, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) singles during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants front office should have a clear outlook on what they need to do in the offseason. With their season ending about a week ago, there should be a big board in one of their offices with players they plan on pursuing.

At the top of that list should be Juan Soto, arguably the best hitter in Major League Baseball.

Soto's future contract will be an interesting one, as he's clearly worth the $500 million that many have predicted him to land. However, for the Giants, would they be willing to spend that type of money?

Some insiders have said they are, while others have hinted they won't be.

While San Francisco hasn't played well over the past few years, it isn't because of their lack of spending. They've signed players to lucrative deals, but some simply didn't pan out.

Regarding Soto, the expectation is that it could come down to the New York Yankees or New York Mets. However, there will be other teams in the mix. Hopefully, the Giants are one of them.

But the Mets are an interesting team to watch out for in his pending free agency. New York's owner, Steve Cohen, has shown he's ready to spend at any moment.

Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report also believes there's a scenario where Soto could sign with the Mets if they lose in the Wild Card Series, as that might make Cohen go all in.

"New York's postseason success may or may not be a factor in Soto's offseason decision. A World Series title could begin to establish him as one of the Yankees' all-time greats, or a playoff push that comes up short of a title could motivate him to win with the Yankees. The Mets will always be a player in big-name free agency, and if they fail to win their Wild Card Series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, there could be even more motivation to bring more power to the lineup."

It goes without saying that if either New York team wins a World Series, it could hurt or help San Francisco's chances. Would Cohen want to spend when he has a World Series team. Would the Yankees front office hand over a $500 million deal or just be content with one ring?

There are a lot of factors to consider with Soto, but as Tansey alluded, the worst scenario would be for the Mets to lose early in the postseason.