Soto sweepstakes likely developing into two-team race; Snell could have many suitors

The MLB off-season officially opened on Monday, but potential directions for some of the big names available have already started to take form.

Of course, as has been the case in recent offseasons, big-name players will not likely settle on a new home until at least after the Winter Meetings have concluded in December, and some may even drag on into the new year.

Where could Juan Soto land?

Superstar slugger Juan Soto, who was acquired via trade by the New York Yankees last offseason and helped guide the team to the World Series, is the top name on the free agent market this year.

After slashing .288/.419/.989 and hitting 41 home runs with a league-leading 128 runs scored, the 26-year-old outfielder is the premier bat available and is expected to command a contract in excess of $500 million.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports that executives around the league think it's a two-horse race between the Yankees and New York Mets to land the four-time All-Star and former batting champ.

“It’s the Yankees or the Mets,” an American League executive told Feinsand. “He knows the Yankees well after spending a year there, and [Mets owner] Steve Cohen has enough money to give him whatever he wants if he decides he wants him badly enough. It’s tough for me to see Soto winding up anywhere else.”

"Does he want to continue hitting on front of [Aaron] Judge, or does he want the most money?" said another AL executive. "Unless the Mets blow the Yankees' offer out of the water, why would he leave the Yankees?"

After the World Series defeat, Soto said: “I’m going to be available for all 30 teams” and “I don’t want to say anybody has any advantage.”

Yankees manager Brian Cashman said New York is willing to meet with Soto as often as the player wants.

"We certainly have an interest in retaining him and we’ll put our best foot forward there," Cashman said. “That will either lead to us retaining him and signing him back or we’ll be forced to go to a different direction if we can't."

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins would not comment on their potential pursuit of Soto when speaking to MLB Network on Tuesday. The Blue Jays' most dire needs for improvement are in the bullpen and on offence, as evidenced by their rank of 23rd in runs scored in 2023.

Blake Snell has many potential suitors

Blake Snell could be one of the more intriguing pitchers available on the market this year.

The 32-year-old lefty and two-time Cy Young winner has maybe the most impressive resume of all, but he did not cash in on that resume that offseason, waiting until late in Spring Training to settle on a two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants.

Snell opted out of that deal after a brilliant second half to the campaign, where he was arguably the best pitcher in the majors. He held a 5-0 record with a sparkling 1.23 earned run average in his final 14 starts in with San Francisco.

Snell is hoping for a better pay day this offseason, but it's hard to envision that coming after he once again dealt with injury concerns - Snell made two separate trips to the injured list with groin issues, and finished with just 104.0 innings pitched.

Snell has exceeded 130 innings in a season just twice in his nine years in the majors. He won the Cy Young award both times, but teams were hesitant to show the oft-injured hurler the money last year, and whether his 2024 campaign will change their minds remains to be seen.

The Giants are an obvious suitor, as they brought in new team president Buster Posey and already gave third baseman Matt Chapman, who was playing on a three-year deal with opt outs after the first and second year, a six-year contract worth $151 million on September 5.

Posey called Snell “one of the premier starting pitchers in the big leagues,” noting that he is “going to be a priority for us to take a hard look at and make a decision as a group” at his introductory press conference at the end of September. 

“Snell will likely face the same challenges as last year in terms of seeking a long-term agreement. Entering his age-32 season, some of the concerns of durability and health remain the same," an MLB executive told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. 

While he has a plus fastball and can essentially use any of his breaking balls as an out pitch, the concern is that he has only thrown 180 innings twice in his career. That’s alarming ... That said, one of the big-market competitive teams will probably give him that long-term contract that he’s looking for.”

Angels sign veteran Hendricks

Per reports, veteran righty Kyle Hendricks has agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million with the Los Angeles Angels.

Hendricks struggled mightily in his last season with the Chicago Cubs, where he threw to a 5.92 ERA with a 4-12 record.

Entering his age-35 season, Hendricks, who has pitched all 11 of his major league seasons with the Cubs, holds a 3.68 ERA across 1,580.1 career innings pitched with 1,259 strikeouts.

He finished in the top 10 in National League Cy Young voting after the 2016 and 2020 campaigns.

What could the Blue Jays be looking for?

Atkins, when speaking to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, indicated that the team is not prioritizing adding catching after shipping out Danny Jansen at the trade deadline in the summer.

“Not a priority for us," Atkins said. "If we were [seeking a catcher], in an ideal world, it would be a left-handed hitting, polished receiver. Those guys are either locked up or valuable to other teams. We feel good about the options we have.”

Atkins also told Bastian that outfielder Daulton Varsho, who had surgery to correct an issue with his right shoulder in September, is not expected to be ready for Opening Day.

“I think the expectation is he could be a little bit behind that,” Atkins said.

TSN's Scott Mitchell described the team as a "ship full of holes." MLB.com's Keegan Matheson identified bullpen help as the top need above all. The offence struggled en route to a 74-88 finish, their worst since 2019 and a winning percentage they've failed to match only five times since 1982.

There are a lot of directions the team could take this offseason.