Let the bidding war begin. After seven big-league seasons, four All-Star selections, two blockbuster trades, two World Series appearances and a batting title, Juan Soto is a free agent. His decision will dominate headlines in the coming months, as fans and executives debate the superstar’s present and future value.
Advertisement Though the Soto sweepstakes has been billed as a two-horse race between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets , most ownership groups will at least have a conversation about forking over a $600 million offer to Soto and his agent, Scott Boras. That’s because Soto fits any team’s timeline, from the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the 121-loss Chicago White Sox : He’s only 26. Soto could sign a 14-year deal and not turn 40 until the week he returned to free agency in 2038.
Below, in alphabetical order, is an examination of how Soto would fit nine of the teams expected to pursue him. How would Soto’s bat reshape the lineup in 2024? And how does he transform each team’s core? Boston Red Sox Nothing would return Yankees-Red Sox to its rightful place as baseball’s undisputed best rivalry like Soto spurning New York to sign with Boston. And nothing would restore Red Sox fans’ waning faith in John Henry and Fenway Ownership Group like paying $600-plus million to poach Soto from the Yankees.
Soto’s all-fields approach would play beautifully at Fenway Park — the second-best ballpark in the majors for left-handed hitters, pe.