Report: Blue Jays 'biggest threat' to Yankees, Mets in Soto sweepstakes
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For the second straight off-season, Toronto Blue Jays fans have been given hope they might be able to land one of baseball's top superstars in free agency.
Last winter it was two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, who seemed destined for Toronto until it was determined he wasn't on that plane at all and soon signed a historic contract with the eventual World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
This off-season's major prize is slugger Juan Soto and according to one baseball insider, the Blue Jays are considered the "biggest threat" to win the sweepstakes over frontrunners in the New York Mets and New York Yankees.
"The Jays are viewed by industry sources as a viable obstacle to the favored Yankees and Mets, thanks to a well-heeled ownership and strong incentive to improve coming off the abject disappointment of 2024." Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported. "They’ve had difficulty luring superstars, presumably due to geography and finances (high taxes and the Canadian dollar complicate things). But word is they are highly motivated and sources suggest they plan to be in big."
Jays to make first pitch to Soto
ESPN's Jeff Passan added that the Blue Jays will have the first meeting with Soto this week in California.
Soto, 26, helped the Yankees reach the World Series this past season, hitting .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs alongside a .419 on-base percentage and a .989 OPS over 157 games in 2024, his seventh season in the majors. The native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic hit .327 with four homers and nine RBIs over 14 playoff games in October.
The Blue Jays pursued the star outfielder via a trade last off-season as well, but the Yankees eventually got a deal done with the San Diego Padres.
Soto, a four-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in his sophomore season in 2019. He has a .285 average with 201 home runs and 592 RBIs over 936 games with the Nationals, Padres and Yankees.
In addition to the Jays, Yankees and Mets, big market teams including the Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox are all expected to pursue Soto's services aggressively in free agency, says Heyman. Heyman adds that two "mystery teams" could be in the mix as well.
WHAT TEAM WILL JUAN SOTO SIGN WITH?
| Team | Oct.30 | Nov. 12 |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | -290 | -230 |
| New York Mets | +250 | +170 |
| San Francisco Giants | +1000 | +1100 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +1300 | +1100 |
| Washington Nationals | +1300 | +1600 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1700 | +1600 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +3100 | +3100 |
| Texas Rangers | +3700 | +3700 |
*odds according to FanDuel and subject to change
What about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette?
Ross Atkins, Mark Shapiro and the entire Blue Jays front office have a busy off-season ahead of them as star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be primed to sign his first major contract with the team.
The 25-year-old four-time All-Star has one year remaining before hitting free agency and is coming off a bounce back season in 2024 where he hit a career-high .323 with 30 homers and 103 RBIs.
TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips wrote a column on Monday describing how the Blue Jays could sign Guerrero Jr. to an extension this winter.
Guerrero Jr. has spent his entire six year career with the the Blue Jays.
Toronto will also have to figure out what to do with star shortstop Bo Bichette.
The 26-year-old is also a free agent after the 2025 campaign, but is coming off an injury plagued season in which he hit .225 with four homers and 31 RBIs over 81 games.
The Blue Jays finished last in the American League East in 2024, posting a 74-88 record for their lowest win total since 2019.