Cody Snavely
As we head into the final week of November with Thanksgiving Thursday right around the corner, the biggest turkey on the free agent market is 26-year-old Juan Soto.
Over the last two weeks, Soto and his agent Scott Boras have met with various clubs, including New York-based teams the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, as Major League Baseball insider Jon Heyman pointed out, no offers were expected to be presented as it was more of a meet and greet.
However, with the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings less than three weeks away, clubs have reportedly started to field their offers to the four-time all-star, according to New York Yankees beat writer Randy Miller.
According to Miller’s source, who has knowledge of the negotiations, five teams have formerly submitted offers to Soto: the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Blue Jays.
Miller also stated that Soto and his camp are seeking a multi-year deal worth well over $700 million and that he is not interested in deferred money. This is a drastic difference from the massive 10-year $700 million contract two-wat superstar Shohei Ohtani signed last winter with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which included $680 million deferred.
Regarding the Dodgers’ interest, multiple insiders, such as Jeff Passan and Bob Nightingale, have stated that while the Dodgers are invested in Soto, they will likely not commit to the years that he is demanding and offer a deal with a high AAV with opt-outs, a move the team offered Bryce Harper during the 2019 offseason.
A contract this large takes multiple teams out of the race, and with offers already being submitted, we could have the Soto market take off and be finished before the Winter Meetings next month in Dallas, Texas.
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