Top-Spending Teams Expected to Pursuer Former Washington Nationals Superstar
The Washington Nationals have money to spend this offseason with contracts coming off the books.
Because of that, fans are starting to dream about a storybook reunion with their past superstar Juan Soto who is scheduled to hit free agency this winter where he is expected to command one of the largest contracts in Major League Baseball history.
It goes without saying that owner Mark Lerner will have to open up his checkbook if he's going to get this done, something that could be coming based on some hints dropped by general manager Mike Rizzo.
The Nationals aren't the only ones who are already eyeing making a move for the phenom.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, many of the top-spending teams in the MLB are preparing to offer him the megadeal it would take to land him.
"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 reports.
All five of those teams are in the top 10 of payroll in 2024, and right now, only the Toronto Blue Jays are outside of that mark in terms of projected salary for next season.
Washington was 24th in spending this year and has an estimated payroll that puts them 28th in 2025.
Their willingness to spend is what will either allow them to be in the Soto sweepstakes or limit them from competing with these teams to get something done.
It's been suggested that it's Rizzo's decision to ask Lerner for the money to upgrade key position groups, and with their outfield seemingly set with James Wood and Dylan Crews at the corners, they don't necessarily need Soto.
Of course, every club would love to have the 26-year-old on their team, and the Nationals shouldn't be the exception despite having young, rising stars on their roster.
With multiple top-spending teams looking to make a play for Washington's former superstar, this will be a great test to see just how willing this organization is to push towards the end of their rebuild, or if they want to continue down their current path.
