Inside The Pinstripes

NL Contender Not Being Ruled Out in Sweepstakes For Yankees' Superstar

An elite National League could be in play to sign New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto this offseason.

Grant Young

Sep 17, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) high-fives teammates in the dugout after during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) high-fives teammates in the dugout after during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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New York Yankees fans are already well aware that their team is about to engage in a massive bidding war for superstar outfielder Juan Soto this offseason.

The 25-year-old is going to receive a substantial contract from some MLB team, which will likely have him locked down for the next 10-12 seasons.

Every MLB analyst and insider seems convinced that the two teams who are most likely to sign Soto are the Yankees and their cross-town rival New York Mets.

Yet, that doesn't mean other teams can be counted out. And the New York Post's MLB insider Jon Heyman noted as part of a September 25 podcast episode with Bleacher Report that one of the National League's most elite teams could be a dark-horse candidate when it comes to securing Soto.

"The [Los Angeles] Dodgers, I'm never ruling them out," Heyman said in the episode. "I basically attach them to like eight of the 10 [top free agents] at this point."

Given the seemingly endless spending power that the Dodgers have showcased over the past few seasons — especially last offseason when they signed Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — it's no surprise that they could pursue Soto this winter.

Yet, Heyman noted that while Soto landing on the West Coast is a possibility, he's most likely going to remain in the same city he's currently at.

"I'm gonna be surprised if Juan Soto is not in New York next year. But I'm not gonna be shocked. We have to be fair about this," Heyman said.

"He does seem to be enjoying himself. He likes being a Yankee."

While hearing other teams potentially signing Soto is never ideal for Yankees fans, that last line from Heyman has got to be somewhat reassuring.

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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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