NEW YORK — The baseball season is over for one of Juan Soto’s friends, this one a former teammate who now is rooting for the Yankees right fielder to have a great postseason to further maximize his winter free agent bargaining power.
This veteran of the game, who doesn’t want his ballclub or position made public, keeps in touch with Soto. They also share the same agent, Scott Boras.
With Soto and the Yankees tied 1-1 with the Royals in a best-of-five American League Division series that continues Wednesday night in Kansas City, his buddy shared some interesting free agency gossip to NJ Advance Media.
“Look for the Blue Jays to make an astronomical offer,” Soto’s pal said by phone.
The Blue Jays?
“I heard it with my own ears,” he said before sharing details.
He’s hearing the Jays, who are coming off a terrible 74-88 season after making the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, are desperate to contend again next season and willing to spend big-big money in the offseason to improve their roster. He’s hearing ownership hopes to re-sign star third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is headed to free agency, and bring in Soto on a deal that could be the richest non-deferred contract in MLB history.
“The Blue Jays think Soto would be perfect for their lineup and team. I know their management thinks Soto and Guerrero for them would be what Soto and (Aaron) Judge were like this year for the Yankees.”
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But would Soto, a four-time All-Star who turns 26 on Oct 25, commit to possibly spending the rest of his career in Canada if the Blue Jays make the best offer?
“I don’t know,” his friend said. “I’ve told him, ‘Don’t go somewhere where you’re not going to win.’ But I don’t know what he’s going to do. Nobody does.”
The Blue Jays took a big swing at the top free agent last year by offering the same mostly deferred $700 million that Shohei Ohtani accepted from the Dodgers.
According to many industry people, the Yankees and Mets are the two favorites for Soto, who publicly and privately has been saying he’ll consider going to any franchise. That’s being smart because you never know if a surprise team drives up the price.
That’s what the Blue Jays did after the 2020 season when DJ LeMahieu and the Yankees eventually continued a marriage that was great for the first two years. When the Jays offered sixth season at $15 million, the Yankees reluctantly matched after being stuck on five years to keep an infielder who was coming off a second batting crown.
Besides the Yankees and Mets, the Dodgers could make a big play for Soto because they reportedly already have secured endorsement money from Japanese companies to pay all of Ohtani’s contract. There probably will be hundreds of millions more coming in from Japan in future years that could take care of whatever Soto would receive with more than enough left over to pay for very high luxury taxes.
A surprise serious bidder could be Soto’s first team, his friend predicts. Soto was traded by the Nationals at the 2022 deadline shortly after he reportedly turned down a 15-year, $440-million offer, but he greatly enjoyed playing in Washington.
Soto won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, and the franchise might be close to contending again after five consecutive losing seasons (2020-24) followed that championship year.
The Phillies could be bidders, too, because their owner, John Middleton, also is a billionaire with a burning desire to win.
Soto has said many times that he’s loved everything about his first season with the Yankees, who acquired him last December from the Padres in a blockbuster trade. He loves being a teammate to Judge, who hits behind him. He loves playing in New York. He loves how Yankees fans have embraced him.
Soto also showed he can thrive in New York. Playing for the Yankees, he hit .288 with a career-high 41 homers, 109 RBI, 129 walks and an .989 OPS this season, numbers that could get him a top three finish in the American League MVP vote behind Judge and Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
There’s been a lot of speculation that Soto will make his final decision on money and sign with whomever offers the best deal, regardless of winning or fit.
Soto’s friend isn’t sure about that. He doesn’t know if Soto would leave money on the table to return to the Yankees.
“First off, it would depend on what the first number was,” he said.
A five … as in $500 million? That would blow away the richest contract in Yankees history, Judge returning for $360 million over nine years when he was a free agent after his 62-homer, MVP season in 2022.
“Too low,” Soto’s friend said. “The number has to start with a six. Soto’s still 25 years old. I also can tell you that I doubt he takes any deferred money.”
What’s his final number prediction?
“I think he’ll get $40 million a year for 15 years. That’s $600 million.”
Fifteen years?
‘Yeah” Soto’s friend added “Other top guys are getting paid until they’re 39-40… Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and others. Juan will, too. You watch.”
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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
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