Last winter was all about Shohei Ohtani’s sweepstakes but this offseason has another generational star, Juan Soto, a 26-year old Dominican baseball player who will come off with the New York Yankees.
Soto previously helped the Bronx Bombers reach the World Series in 15 years, and now he is on his way to seal a long-term deal for major leagues for the next decade or more.
The New York Yankees are involved in the bidding of Juan Soto and offers are expected to be introduced in the coming week, according to ESPN.
Soto and the American sports agent, Scott Boras, came in contact with their interested teams to get to know each other at an ownership level. Soto’s free-agent marketing involved questioning the teams about their dedication and commitment to playing and winning the game among various other things.
Teams Competing for Soto’s Signature and Early Meetings
- New York Yankees: Team owner Hal Steinbrenner discussed with the Yankees about its prospects of retaining Juan Soto on 24 November soon after the delegation, which included Steinbrenner, Manager Aaron Boone, and General Manager, Brian Cashman. The three of them discussed Soto where Steinbrenner expressed his confidence about keeping the star in the game.
- Toronto Blue Jays & Boston Red Sox: The Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox made “impressive in-person presentations”, showing their motivation for Soto, according to the reports by the New York Post.
- Philadelphia Phillies & New York Mets: Meanwhile, the Phillies showed their strong interest to complete the deal with the superstar similar to the $330 million deal signed with Bryce Harper in 2019 for a 13-year contract. The Met too had a detailed meeting, where Soto was termed as the “big production”.
- Los Angeles Dodgers & San Francisco Giants: Los Angeles Dodgers made a cautious move showing interest in the superstar but mentioned that they will not chase after him if the bidding war emerges for his service as expected. There has been a close link between San Francisco Giants and Soto, where the Giants have been considered as the long shots for landing Soto.
Soto’s Questions for Teams and Who Are the Favorites to Land Him?
In a discussion between Hal Steinbrenner and Soto, questions were raised about the player development process of the team, their commitment to winning the game, and the overall organizational structure.
Steinbrenner also raised similar questions for the Red Sox and later mentioned that Soto did not spend enough time at the player development complex. His approach is different where he is concerned about the clubs and collecting information about different players, the pipelines, the different systems, and more.
Both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets have been considered as the favorite teams to land Juan Soto and they are clearly the two betting favorites, who will be signing him soon. This team’s excitement for the future surrounding the potential bidding war for Soto’s services is available on the best MLB betting sites.
