Video: Juan Soto Open Contract from All Teams in MLB Free Agency After Yankees' Loss

Updated Oct. 31, 2024, 11:30 a.m. by Scott Polacek 1 min read
MLB News

Let the Juan Soto sweepstakes begin.

All eyes now turn toward the slugger's impending free agency after his New York Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was asked about his mindset going into the offseason after Wednesday's Game 5 and didn't close the door on any teams.

"I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency," Soto told reporters.

He was also specifically asked about the New York Mets and echoed those thoughts when he said, "I don't know what's the teams that are going to come after me.

Definitely, I'll be open to this and every single team.

I don't have any doors closed.

I"m gonna be available for all 30 teams." For his part, Yankees teammate Aaron Judge expressed his hope Soto would return to the Bronx Bombers and said, "We were definitely lucky to have him here, and it would be great to keep playing with him because he's definitely a special player." While Soto kept his options wide open with the comments, the reality is every team will not be in the running to sign him.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers noted he likely won't reach the $700 million deal Shohei Ohtani received from the Dodgers last offseason but will still ink a contract that "will certainly be rich." Soto was even asked about possibly signing a deal for more than $600 million and said, "It's a lot of money that people are talking about here and there, but definitely we are going to shake it out." There are only a handful of teams in the league that will even entertain such a deal for one player, and the two in New York are likely on the list.

After all, the Mets and Yankees topped the league in 2024 payrolls with the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers rounding out the top five.

The Mets make sense as a potential destination, as he is already familiar with New York and could provide the missing piece to help them take the next step after reaching the National League Championship Series.

Pete Alonso is also an impending free agent, meaning they could be in the market for another slugger if the power hitter leaves.

They also fit the bill as a team in the middle of a winning window, which Soto said is important.

"I feel like everybody wants to be on a winning team," he said.

"That's one of the biggest things that you look up to.

You want to be part of this.

Even if you don't make it to the last team standing, you want to be involved in all these [games], so I think that's one of the biggest things I'm looking for." Soto is the rare generational superstar who is available in free agency in the middle of what figures to be his peak at 26 years old.

He already has a list of accomplishments that includes a World Series title, a batting title, four Silver Sluggers and four All-Star Game nods, and he was excellent this past season for the Yankees.

He slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a league-best 128 runs and then hit .327 with four home runs in 14 postseason games as New York reached the World Series.

The next team that signs him could have him for more than a decade.

To hear him tell it, that could be any team..

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