Inside The Pinstripes

Juan Soto to Meet With These Rival Teams Before Yankees

Before the Yankees make their pitch to Juan Soto next week, the free-agent slugger will meet with two division rivals and one cross-town rival.

John Sparaco

Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates after hitting 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) celebrates after hitting 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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The free-agent sweepstakes for Juan Soto is beginning to heat up.

According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the Toronto Blue Jays will have the first meeting with the 26-year-old generational outfielder in California this week. After that, Soto will meet with the Boston Red Sox, followed by the New York Mets, and finally, the New York Yankees.

Soto is coming off a tremendous first, and potentially only, season in the Bronx, hitting .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs. He helped propel the Yankees to their first World Series appearance in 15 years, delivering the go-ahead three-run homer in the 10th inning of ALCS Game 5, which clinched the pennant.

On Monday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed he will be part of the contingent traveling to California to meet with Soto next week. Team owner Hal Steinbrenner will also attend the meeting.

"Obviously, what Juan did for us between the lines this year was pretty special, but, equally, I was just impressed with the person,” Boone said. “Really getting to know him and getting to manage him was a pleasure…Obviously, I want him in pinstripes moving forward. I'm confident that the Steinbrenner family and front office are going to do everything possible to put us in a position to have another strong team that has a chance to compete for a championship."

When the Yankees traded five players to acquire Soto from the San Diego Padres last December, the plan was to form one of the scariest one-two punches in baseball history. The plan worked, as both Soto and Aaron Judge were named finalists for AL MVP. To keep them together, the Yankees will have to offer a historic contract.

Passan noted in his ESPN+ exclusive that Soto is expected to warrant the longest contract in baseball history. The record currently belongs to former Padres teammate Fernando Tatis Jr., who signed a 14-year, $340 million deal before the 2021 season. Soto’s final guarantees should surpass that, with reports suggesting he could earn more than $600 million when all is said and done.

Last offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers made Shohei Ohtani the highest-paid player in MLB history with a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract. While the Dodgers have shown interest in Soto coming off their World Series victory, Passan reported that they will not aggressively pursue him unless his market softens. Ohtani’s presence at designated hitter could complicate Soto’s fit long-term in Los Angeles due to his limited range in the outfield.

The Tampa Bay Rays have also expressed interest but are likely to be priced out. As Passan noted, the Rays’ total spending over the past eight years combined ($576,716,569) is still less than the $600 million-plus Soto is expected to receive. They do not have a confirmed meeting scheduled with Soto as of now.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Monday that the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are believed to be planning visits with Soto. He also mentioned that two "mystery teams" could enter the mix and described the Blue Jays as a "viable obstacle" to the Yankees and Mets, who are currently favored. Toronto was a serious contender for Ohtani last offseason before he ultimately signed with the Dodgers.

Soto, a client of agent Scott Boras, is unlikely to see his free agency drag into the new year like Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, and Blake Snell did last offseason. According to Passan, his decision could come even before the winter meetings begin on Dec. 9.

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John Sparaco
JOHN SPARACO

John Sparaco is a contributing writer for the Yankees and Mets websites On SI. He has previously written for Cold Front Report, Times Union and JKR Baseball, where he profiled some of the top recruits, college players and draft prospects in baseball. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JohnSparaco

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