Yankees' AL East Foes Deemed Top Juan Soto Free Agency Destinations

Two of the Yankees' fiercest division rivals are among the teams most likely to sign Juan Soto this offseason.

Aug 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Although it's hard to envision the New York Yankees letting their prized star walk in the offseason, there are a number of teams that will be vying for his services once he hits the open market.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman released an August 15 article that discussed the 10 most likely landing spots for superstar outfielder Juan Soto, who is set to enter free agency after this season.

Heyman's article also includes the exact odds that all 10 teams (plus the 'Field', which are the odds for the other 20 MLB teams not listed) have to sign Soto. As Yankees fans would hope, New York is the clear favorite to sign the 25-year-old this offseason, and have even money odds.

But beyond the Bronx Bombers, the AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox are each among the top seven teams deemed most likely to secure Soto's services. The Blue Jays are No. 5 on Heyman's list with 25-1 odds, while the Red Sox are No. 7 on the list with 35-1 odds.

For the Blue Jays, Heyman wrote, "They tried for Soto in trade and “owe” fans." And for Boston he added, "They have a lot of loot left over, no?"

While the thought of Soto suiting up for another AL East team (especially that one in Boston) is enough to terrify Yankees fans, at least neither team has favorable odds to land the superstar.

The team Heyman notes as most likely to steal Soto is the Yankees' cross-town rival, the Mets. Their odds are 5-1 at the moment.

In addition to these four aforementioned teams, the rest of the list is comprised of the Los Angeles Dodgers (15-1), San Francisco Giants (20-1), Philadelphia Phillies (30-1), Chicago Cubs (40-1), Washington Nationals (50-1), and San Diego Padres (100-1). And the 'Field' has 17-1 odds to sign Soto in free agency.

For now, Soto and the Yankees are focused on pushing for a World Series title in 2024. But regardless of how this year's campaign ends, Soto's future will quickly become top of mind once free agency begins.