After winning the 2024 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to meet with Juan Soto on Tuesday, joining the many teams, including the 2024 ALCS champions New York Yankees, battling it out to land his services in free agency. Besides the Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and the Toronto Blue Jays have pitched or will pitch a new contract to the most coveted player in free agency. Moreover, Soto was willing to listen to teams who could give him the right deal, though the Yankees remain confident they can retain him because of how last season went, despite the World Series loss.
“[Hal] Steinbrenner and his baseball people are…’gung ho’ about Soto, their top winter priority,” per the report from Jon Heyman for the New York Post. Soto had “hit 41 home runs, posted a .989 OPS and helped them into their first World Series since 15 years with his heroic home run at Cleveland.”
The report continued, “And the Yankees, as MLB’s perennial revenue leader, certainly have a chance. They also can make an appealing case, even beyond what Soto experienced.”
The Yankees join the Soto sweepstakes
Still, the Yankees’ confidence or the Dodgers’ recent World Series glory aside, Juan Soto could very well sign with the Mets or the Blue Jays.
After all, the owners of both teams–Steve Cohen (Mets) and Edward Rogers (Jays)–are two of the richest owners in Major League Baseball, and they have extra motivation to land Soto with a potential $600-million deal.
On the other hand, the Yankees rely on Soto’s past experience with their clubhouse, with Aaron Judge batting behind him. Judge’s forgettable playoffs might not even come into play in his decision.
Moreover, the Yankees’ rich history could entice the future Hall of Famer to stick around, offering him a spot on Monument Park should he choose to stick around.
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Unfinished business could also persuade Soto to re-sign with the Yankees, especially if they retool their roster into a World Series-caliber team.
Certainly, the possibility of redeeming their World Series defeat would be part of the pitch from Steinbrenner, GM Brian Cashman, and manager Aaron Boone during their meeting with the superstar hitter on Monday in southern California.
Likewise, teams with the resources simply must do their due diligence and at least set a meeting if a major player like Juan Soto hits free agency. Moreover, the Dodgers would offer him the chance to win a proven World Series-winning roster and a major market in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers may not want to pursue too hard, though, given that they could simply re-sign players like Teoscar Hernandez who showed up big when it mattered the most.