Top 8 Odds-On Favorites To Sign Juan Soto In Free Agency
It'll be the biggest free agent chase in major league baseball since... well, since Shohei Ohtani last year. But make no mistake, the Juan Soto sweepstakes this winter will be earth-shaking.
Especially in that patch of earth known as New York City.
According to baseball insider Jon Heyman, writing in the New York Post, he lists the Yankees and Mets as the top two odds-on favorites to sign Soto this coming offseason.
His handicapping board looks like this:
- NY Yankees: Odds: even money
- NY Mets: Odds: 5-1
- LA Dodgers: Odds: 15-1
- SF Giants: Odds: 20-1
- Toronto Blue Jays: 25-1
- Philadelphia Phillies: 30-1
- Boston Red Sox: 35-1
- Chicago Cubs: 40-1
Soto seems quite happy (and productive) in Pinstripes this season, so as long as Hal Steinbrenner comes up with the cash, it's reasonable to assume that Soto will very likely re-sign, making the Yankees the odds-on favorites at even money.
Of course, Mets owner Steve Cohen will open the vault and try to out-spend the Bronx Bombers to lure Soto across the East River to Queens.
The Dodgers, who spent $700 million last winter to reel in Ohtani, are seen as way back of the NY entries, at 15-1. After pairing up a $300M+ contract for Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the Ohtani deal, do the Dodgers really have another $600 mill or so to spend?
The Giants will always try to land the big fish, so they're on this list, and the Blue Jays get a top 5 spot after their runner-up bid to sign Ohtani last year, plus their failed trade attempt at Soto himself. Or, for the more cynical point of view, maybe because they'll be used as pawns by a top free agent once again.
Will it be another wild winter of following private jets around North America?
Photo: © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
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