Pros and cons of the 7 suitors for Juan Soto
Four-time All-Star Juan Soto is expected to sign the richest contract for a position player in MLB history this winter. Just a week into the offseason, his market is already taking shape, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting Wednesday that at least seven teams have contacted agent Scott Boras about Soto.
We weigh the pros and cons of each reported organization and how those could influence Soto's decision.
Boston Red Sox
Pro: The Red Sox have missed the postseason in three straight years but are coming off an encouraging 81-win season. They've got a strong young core and a farm system featuring six top-100 prospects, three of them in the top 10. After operating under the luxury tax in recent years, ownership is expected to spend this winter (and has committed to a high payroll before). Alex Cora is a well-respected manager and just signed an extension, so things appear stable within the organization. Boston also has a strong tradition of Dominican-born stars in David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez, and Fenway would be a great place for Soto to hit.
Con: Playing in Boston comes with intense scrutiny, and expectations will be very high based on that kind of contract. There's nowhere to hide if things don't go well, which is difficult for some players. Fenway Park's right field is a challenge for even the best defenders and Soto's not one, so it's possible he moves over to left. Owner John Henry could be hesitant to spend big after extending Rafael Devers. A number of Boston's young players are outfielders - though none can match Soto's ceiling - and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow could decide to use his budget elsewhere.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pro: The Dodgers are the gold standard in MLB. They spend, they win, and they have an absurd player development group that not only gets the best out of everyone on the roster, but also creates a seemingly inexhaustible pipeline of young talent. Soto would hit around three future Hall of Famers in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman while playing for another one of baseball's historic franchises and biggest fan bases. Living in a large market would allow Soto to keep growing his brand and potentially explore other opportunities. He can always be confident that ownership is committed to winning and will do whatever it takes to build the best roster. Betts' move to the infield next season creates a need in right field.
Con: Does Soto really want to join the team that just beat him in the World Series? Instead of jumping into an organization that's already full of stars, maybe he wants to be part of building something different. And while this doesn't apply to Soto personally, there's an argument that him joining the Dodgers would be bad for baseball. Los Angeles deferred considerable money on a number of its biggest contracts - Ohtani, Betts, Freeman - in order to afford its roster, and that could be a deterrent for Soto. After winning the 2024 World Series, Los Angeles likely isn't feeling as much anxiety about making a major splash this winter compared to last. Soto also reportedly prefers the East Coast.
New York Mets
Pro: Does Soto love living in New York but not playing for the Yankees? Well, luckily for him, the city has another team. The Mets are in good hands with David Stearns leading the front office and billionaire Steve Cohen as owner. The Mets have the financial resources to be one of MLB's top organizations in every facet, and the franchise will likely submit the highest bid for Soto. This is a major market coming off a great season that re-energized the fan base. There were a number of departures this winter, but Francisco Lindor and Kodai Senga are signed long term, and the roster features a number of young contributors with multiple years of control. Stearns showed he can build a great team on a budget with the Milwaukee Brewers; now, he has all the resources he'll ever need.
Con: The Mets don't have the same level of prestige as the Yankees, and maybe Soto wants to be part of the biggest show in town. For as much success as the Mets had in 2024 - and for as talented as Stearns is - they also might have caught lightning in a bottle. There's a chance the club won't be able to recapture that magic, especially given the roster turnover.
New York Yankees
Pro: Soto enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in pinstripes and formed arguably the best duo in MLB hitting in front of Aaron Judge. With Judge locked up long term, Soto can find comfort in knowing the pair would have plenty of years together. The fan base adores Soto, and he appeared to be a positive presence in the clubhouse. He knows what he's getting with the Yankees, which should put him at ease. Soto would have the opportunity to become one of the greatest players in franchise history and could be responsible for bringing a title back to the Bronx. It's hard for any other team to offer the type of potential legacy he could build with the Yankees.
Con: Soto helped lead this team to a World Series appearance, but maybe he wasn't convinced the Yankees are on the same level as some of the NL powerhouses. The core, while talented, is aging: Judge will be 33 next year, while Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole will be 35. Hal Steinbrenner opened his wallet for Cole and Judge, but Soto's contract and Cohen's ability to drive up the price could make him uncomfortable. Given the number of holes on the Yankees' roster, ownership and the front office might decide it makes more sense to spread that money around.
San Francisco Giants
Pro: If Soto doesn't want to share the spotlight, he'd be the main attraction for the Giants. The organization has been in pursuit of a star for years but continues to fall short. Hiring Buster Posey will likely breathe new life into the team, and ownership has shown a willingness to spend. The club has a decent core of young players it can build around, plus Matt Chapman, Jung Hoo Lee, and Logan Webb are signed long term.
Con: As tantalizing as adding Soto would be, Posey probably isn't looking to get sucked into a bidding war in his first months on the job. The Giants aren't a single player away from contending, and spreading those resources around makes more sense. Although San Francisco has a rich baseball history, the core that rattled off three World Series wins in five years is long gone. The Giants have made one playoff series in eight years and are stuck in a division with the Dodgers.
Tampa Bay Rays
Pro: During all these seasons the Rays haven't been spending, maybe ownership was actually putting funds into a Soto savings account? It was certainly a surprise to see the Rays reported as suitors, though they did make an offer to Freddie Freeman in the past and signed Wander Franco to a $182-million extension (that will likely be void). If Soto wants to live in Florida with minimal media pressure and play for a team that excels at finding every competitive edge, then the Rays are a great fit. A number of ex-Rays boast about how well the organization treated them, and the team loves playing for Kevin Cash.
Con: The limited budget is the obvious starting point. Ownership's demonstrated almost no commitment to spending, and good players are often shipped out once they become too expensive. The team is usually good but never great. Would Soto get frustrated with watching his teammates get traded? In all likelihood, the club would be interested in signing Soto to a short-term deal if his market doesn't develop the way he'd like. Tampa Bay is set to build a new stadium for 2028, but the extensive damage to Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton could displace the team for an unknown amount of time, adding another layer of doubt to an already improbable match.
Toronto Blue Jays
Pro: The Blue Jays might have the biggest market in baseball as the only team that represents an entire country. Soto would be able to secure endorsement deals and expand his platform while being the focal point of the organization. Joining Toronto would offer Soto the challenge of trying to take down the high-spending Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East while building a legacy with a franchise that lacks a long history of Hall of Fame players. Rogers is one of the richest owners in MLB and has committed to spending during this competitive window. Soto could also play alongside friend and fellow All-Star Vlad Guerrero Jr., though that partnership could be short-lived with Guerrero set to hit free agency next winter.
Con: The futures of Guerrero and Bo Bichette hang over the Jays. Both homegrown players remain without extensions and are only under contract for one more season. It would be hard to sell Soto on signing without finishing a Guerrero extension first. Uncertainty also surrounds the long-term futures of general manager Ross Atkins, president Mark Shapiro, and manager John Schneider. José Berríos and Yariel Rodríguez are the only players signed through 2027. While that creates a lot of financial flexibility, it also opens the door for enormous turnover and a potential rebuild. Toronto is coming off a down season, and this leadership group hasn't exactly excelled at player development. The Blue Jays haven't won a postseason game since 2016 and have one top-100 prospect (No. 94) in their system.