Yankees' AL East Foe Deemed 'Dark Horse' Team to Sign Juan Soto

One AL East team has been called a 'Dark Horse' candidate to sign New York Yankees slugger this offseason.

Aug 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) tosses his helmet after striking out against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports / rafael suanes-usa today sports

The sweepstakes to sign New York Yankees' superstar outfielder Juan Soto this upcoming offseason is sure to stress Yankees fans.

Even if Soto does ultimately end up re-signing with the Yankees, the fact that teams like the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers are all being expected to seek his services will likely lose the Yankees community a lot of sleep this winter.

And as if the Yankees didn't have enough team's to worry about signing the 25-year-old Soto, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand listed another AL East team as a 'Dark Horse' candidate to bring him on board this offseason in a September 2 article.

"I’ll go with the Orioles, just because that would be so much fun," Feinsand said when asked about potential dark horse teams in the Soto sweepstakes.

Yankees fans won't think that Soto signing with the Baltimore Orioles sounds like any fun at all.

Luckily, Feinsand admitted that Baltimore being a major player to sign Soto appears unlikely, saying, "I don’t think there’s any chance it happens, but think of what that lineup would look like if they did!"

When MLB.com insiders Feinsand, Sarah Langs, and Anthony DiComo were all asked the teams they truly believe are contenders to sign Soto, they all mentioned the same four: the Yankees, the Mets, the Washington Nationals, and the San Francisco Giants.

However, they added later that both the Nationals and Giants appear like long shots, and Soto will most likely be deciding between the Mets and Yankees.

While a short list of competitors is great for the Yankees, their cross-town rival having such a good shot to poach the superstar is harrowing.