Identical to final offseason, there’s one large fish in baseball’s free company pond. Juan Soto is in his personal tier above all the remainder in the case of gamers who can be found to be signed in free company — that a lot is evident. What isn’t so clear is which workforce he’ll be taking part in for subsequent yr. He’s clearly trying ahead to this chance to choose his subsequent vacation spot — a lot in order that he’s quoted as saying that he’s “out there to all 30 groups.”
Whereas he’s certainly going to be weighing the professionals and cons for every workforce in Main League Baseball, I believe everyone knows that there are specific groups who’ve an precise shot and sure groups who haven’t any shot. This tier record goes to be my effort to attempt to fee the possibilities of all 30 groups. From the non-factors to the frontrunners, you’ll discover all of them right here. Let’s attempt to determine the place Soto’s going, we could?
F Tier: Everyone knows it’s not occurring
Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates
Ah, the same old suspects. In case you’re a fan of those groups and you continue to clicked on this text, simply know that I such as you as a result of I do know that you simply’re serious about baseball as a complete and never simply your favourite workforce. However yeah, I believe you and I each know that Juan Soto is not going to be placing on any of those groups’ uniforms come Opening Day 2025. These are the groups which are normally extraordinarily thrifty, far out of competition or a mixture of each. It could be very cool to see Soto in a White Sox or Pirates uniform simply because they appear cool however I believe all of us already know to scratch these groups off of the record virtually instantly.
D Tier: The Central division groups
Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas Metropolis Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals
These groups aren’t in terrible conditions — in some circumstances, they’re truly in fairly stable conditions. These groups do, nevertheless, have a status of not being large spenders in free company. It additionally simply so occurs that every of those groups performs within the Central division of their respective leagues. Coincidence, proper? You possibly can take a look at the Twins signing Carlos Correa however that solely occurred after two groups dropped the ball on signing him. The Tigers have made the largest free company signing on this group of groups (Prince Fielder in 2012 for 9 years, $212 million) however the present state of possession hasn’t precisely proven the identical urge for food to spend huge like that. So depend these groups out as nicely.
C Tier: In case you squint, it’s possible
Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Crimson Sox, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays
If this was a unique period that wasn’t so way back, perhaps we’d see the Crimson Sox and Cubs increased up on this record. As an alternative, it looks as if each of those golf equipment have settled into the pack. Once more, they’re not in a horrible state of affairs and perhaps in the event that they resolve to open up their checkbook, it might positively occur. Nonetheless, it’s laborious to think about them pulling up in such a serious method on this explicit offseason.
In the meantime, the Diamondbacks, Mariners and Nationals are all very attention-grabbing and intensely darkish horses on this race. The Nationals are this excessive as nicely because of this being a possible reunion spot. With the Nationals coming again into an honest spot themselves, we might see them resolve to go on a buying spree that features the crown jewel of free company. If Washington needs to contend straight away, bringing Soto again positive would assist.
The one purpose why the Rays are all the way in which up right here is as a result of they’ve not less than proven some form of curiosity with spending cash and have finished so with a giant cash contract extension up to now. Is it probably that they’ll spend huge right here? In all probability not! Would it not be very humorous to see Juan Soto ending up with the Rays? Completely!
B Tier: Stranger issues have occurred
Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers
These are all groups which are both contenders or groups with a historical past with spending cash. The Braves aren’t going to have Ronald Acuña Jr. again by Opening Day and aren’t recognized to enter into bidding wars themselves, however wouldn’t or not it’s good for him to return with Juan Soto someplace on the market alongside him? The Phillies are reeling after their NLDS exit however a great way to answer that will be proprietor John Middleton opening up his pockets and letting Dave Dombrowski reunite Bryce Harper with Juan Soto. The Rangers are not any strangers to spending huge cash and in the event that they really need him, they’ll open up their pockets as nicely.
The Astros additionally aren’t scared to interrupt open their pockets however they might be specializing in protecting their very own gamers (akin to Alex Bregman) than going for the massive splash. The Orioles are ready the place it’s excessive time for them to make a splash that will be an actual signal of intent in the case of protecting this window open and in the event that they wish to get the soar on their AL East rivals, this is able to be an effective way to do it. The Padres might additionally function one other attention-grabbing reunion spot however admittedly, this looks as if an extended shot since that they had their alternative to lock him all the way down to an extension and couldn’t make it occur. Now it’ll be far harder since Soto is on the open market.
A Tier: The workforce that received Ohtani and the workforce that nearly received him
Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays
At this level, you possibly can by no means depend out the Dodgers in the case of spending cash. This can be a workforce that simply received finished spending a billion {dollars} in a single offseason and have the trophy from the World Collection to indicate for it. With that being stated, even the Dodgers could have their restrict since they are going to have an astonishing sum of money on the books for only a handful of gamers in the event that they resolve to usher in Soto. Plus the Dodgers may additionally wish to maintain no matter flexibility they’ve remaining out there for something they’d wish to pursue sooner or later, so this can be a state of affairs the place Soto’s worth could find yourself being too wealthy for LA this time round.
With that being stated, the Blue Jays are in an identical place to the place the workforce that’s within the subsequent tier is in. They got here up agonizingly brief within the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes final offseason they usually didn’t spend a ton of cash in that offseason after they missed out on Ohtani. Assuming that they’re nonetheless sitting on that cash (and likewise assuming that the stories are true that they did, actually, supply an identical sum of money for Ohtani that the Dodgers did) then they may resolve to go for another huge fish in free company. If the Blue Jays can persuade Soto to be the face of Canada’s workforce, that would make up for dropping out on the face of baseball as a complete final offseason.
SF Tier: Please simply give us one
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are additionally in a tier of their very own as a result of in the event that they select to go after Juan Soto, they will pull out all of the stops with the intention to get him and it’s probably as a result of this would be the time the place they lastly pull it off and get the deal to the end line. They’ve swung for the fences so many occasions in recent times for a high free agent they usually’ve both struck out, hit it to the warning monitor, or truly hit what appeared to be a house run just for it to be taken away through replay overview. The Giants want a free company win and perhaps the mixture of Buster Posey as President and Zack Minasian as Normal Supervisor might be sufficient to lastly get San Francisco that huge fish that they’ve been trying to find for years.
S Tier: New York, New York
New York Mets, New York Yankees
Juan Soto could be very probably going to proceed taking part in baseball primarily in New York Metropolis. Whether or not or not it’s within the Bronx or Queens is anyone’s guess at this level. Each of those groups have house owners who’re keen to spend a boatload of cash if the state of affairs presents itself — Steven Cohen is the richest proprietor in baseball and whereas Hal isn’t George, he’s nonetheless a Steinbrenner. Each of those groups determine to be within the thick of competition subsequent season. Each of those groups can simply match Soto into their respective lineups and each of those groups have already made it abundantly clear that they need Soto on their workforce and badly.
The one actual query now’s which workforce will attraction to Soto extra? With the Yankees, Soto is already accustomed to the group and has additionally gotten a style of what it’s wish to be a star participant on the Yankees after they’re making a deep run. There’s one thing to be stated about having a historical past and having a tradition of successful and whereas the Yankees haven’t completed their annual final objective of successful the World Collection since 2009, they’re normally going to be within the combine in any given yr. Plus, Soto has already performed for 3 groups in seven seasons. If he merely needs to go for consistency for not simply this yr however for the foreseeable future, then the selection is clear.
Nevertheless, it’s fairly clear that the Mets are going to do no matter it takes to convey him in. It’s very simple to see Cohen outbidding anyone who decides to get right into a spending contest with him they usually’ll have loads of cash to take action with a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} coming after payroll. Cohen additionally goes to be within the temper for giant spending — the previous two World Collection champions primarily spent their technique to a World Collection title. Mix that with the truth that the Mets made a shock run to not simply the Postseason however all the way in which to the NLCS and abruptly you’ve gotten a recipe for an emboldened billionaire who likes to spend cash dropping a few of that cash on the largest identify in free company.
If the ambition of Cohen and the Mets matches what Juan Soto has in thoughts, then we might very nicely see Soto sporting royal blue pinstripes as a substitute of navy blue pinstripes within the Bronx throughout city. Both method, it looks as if this’ll be a secure wager that Juan Soto can be staying in New York. So far as everyone else goes, it’s nonetheless enjoyable to dream, proper?
