Inside The Pinstripes

Dodgers Expected to Pursue Yankees' Juan Soto in Free Agency, Per Insider

An MLB insider noted that the Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing to try and sign Juan Soto this winter.

Grant Young

Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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It's hard to imagine that New York Yankees fans could harbor any more vitriol toward the Los Angeles Dodgers than they do right now.

This is of course due to the Dodgers currently being up 2-0 against the Yankees in the World Series. However, as if the Dodgers weren't already seen as enemies enough for Yankees fans, an October 27 article from the New York Post's Jon Heyman will make matters even worse.

"The Dodgers are halfway to beating the Yankees in the World Series, and word is they have interest in signing Yankees superstar Juan Soto, according to people familiar with their thinking," Heyman wrote.

"The Dodgers, arguably baseball’s best offense already — it’s either them or the Yankees — intend to make a play for Soto 'if he’s interested,'" Heyman added.  

It might seem absurd that the Dodgers can even afford Soto, given the 10-year, $700 million contract they gave Shohei Ohtani last offseason; not to mention the 12-year, $325 million deal they gave Game 2 hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

But because Ohtani is deferring $68 million of the $70 million he's owed each year until after the 2034 season, this unprecedented flexibility gives the Dodgers enough leverage to, well, pursue players like Soto.

However, Heyman's report isn't all bad for the Yankees. While the Dodgers have the funds to sign Soto, Heyman noted why the Yankees (and their cross-town rival Mets) are still believed to have an advantage in the Soto Sweepstakes.

"The Dodgers’ overriding question on Soto is geographic," Heyman wrote. "Many do see the Yankees and Mets holding an edge in the highly anticipated free agent derby since there was suggestion early in his tenure in San Diego that the Dominican star preferred to be on the East Coast, where he started with the Nationals in Washington."

Heyman concluded the article by writing, "It should be no surprise that Soto is on their radar. As one person familiar with their thinking pointed out, they’ve at least tried for 'almost every' big-time free agent... But thanks to Ohtani’s contract, which is not only the richest but most 'flexible' ever, they are a threat to sign almost anyone the next nine winters."

Hopefully New York turning the tide of this World Series can cement Soto staying in the Bronx.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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