Juan Soto to Blue Jays? Not so Fast, Say Insiders, Unless This Happens
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, nobody believes that the Toronto Blue Jays are going to land Juan Soto unless they massively overpay in free agency.
Nightengale wrote the following on Monday morning.
This is a critical year with president Mark Shapiro in the final year of his contract, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette in the final year before free agency.
They will have no choice but to overpay free agents with players well aware that Guerrero and Bichette could be gone. This is why no one believes Soto is coming their way unless they dramatically outbid the Mets.
This certainly makes sense from Soto’s perspective. Would he want to sign in Toronto, only to see his running mates and lineup protection leave? He might not care if he’s offered the most money there, which is the point that Nightengale is making.
The Blue Jays have a lot of financial flexibility moving forward and likely have room for both Soto and a long-term Guerrero Jr. extension, but that’s not a guarantee to happen, which could make Soto nervous.
Toronto is coming off a season in which they went 74-88 and finished last in the American League East. Soto is coming off a year in which he hit .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBI for the New York Yankees, helping them get to the World Series. At the age of 26, Soto is one of the best hitters in all of baseball. He’s already won a World Series title (2019) and a batting title.
