Legendary Host Believes Orioles Can Swipe Juan Soto From Yankees

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo thinks the upstart AL East rival could be a legitimate threat in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Oct 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) on third base during the first inning in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It’s a reality that New York Yankees fans must be prepared for: Juan Soto signing with an AL East rival.

It’s no secret that the entire league is interested in signing the 26-year-old superstar. According to reports, at least eleven teams have already checked in on Soto following the Yankees’ loss in the World Series on Wednesday night. To nobody’s surprise, the early frontrunners are the teams with the deepest pockets: the Yankees, the cross-town rival New York Mets, and the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.

But Chris "Mad Dog" Russo of the Mad Dog Unleashed radio show has suggested that the Baltimore Orioles could be an under-the-radar team in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. The Orioles haven’t been known to be big spenders in free agency (primarily under the Angelos family, their previous owners), but Russo noted that new owner David Rubenstein could be bringing a different culture to the Baltimore organization.

“First off, they’ve got a new owner with a billion dollars and that’s Rubenstein, the new owner. Second thing, they had a terrible finish to the season,” Russo said. “They don’t have a big, high-priced player and (the owner) could spend a fortune here to put Soto in right field. He’s young enough to go with that core and he hurts the Yankees.”

Russo additionally pointed out that Anthony Santander, who manned right field for the Orioles last season, is set to hit free agency; this gives the new ownership group the opportunity to make a big splash with Soto.

Baltimore finished second in the AL East to the Yankees in the regular season and lost to the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS. The Orioles’ top priority heading into the offseason was believed to be re-signing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, but Russo thinks that signing Soto could mean saving money down the road.

“If he has Soto there, he doesn’t necessarily need to go crazy to keep both (Adley) Rutschman and (Gunnar) Henderson. I’m going to throw that out there just for the heck of it. It’s on the East Coast, it’s a great ball park, it’s a great baseball town, and it’s a good team.”

Other than the Orioles, the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays are other AL East teams expected to be making offers for Soto. Despite being the favorites to re-sign him, the Yankees will have no shortage of competition to lock up who many call the best pure hitter in baseball.

Russo closed out the segment with a remark that will likely make Yankees fans uncomfortable.

“I know that’s not the way they operate, but the owner is different and he just took over in April. So I’ll go Baltimore as far as the whole thing with Soto is concerned.”