Dodgers Double Down: LA Increases Offer to Soto, Hopes to Steal Him From Yankees

The Los Angeles Dodgers have not given up on signing MLB’s No.1 free agent on the market. Outfielder Juan Soto is drawing interest from a handful of MLB teams, including the Dodgers. The franchise has reportedly made an offer of at least $600 million to Soto, according to Jon Heyman of Bleacher Report.

However, four other teams are offering Soto contracts valuing around 15-years, $700 million. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox are competing for the Dominican outfielder.

The high demand for Soto is no surprise as the four-time All-Star made a solid case for himself before electing free agency.

This season, he led the American League with 128 runs and ranked in the top three of the league in home runs (41), on-base percentage (.419), slugging percentage (.569), and OPS (.988). Soto did even better in the postseason, as he slashed .327/.469/.633 and recorded four home runs and nine RBIs to help the Yankees reach the World Series.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan predicts Soto to make a decision in the near future. He even suggested Soto could sign before the start of the Winter Meetings, which begin on Monday in Dallas. Passan expects Soto to sign a record-breaking contract, possibly exceeding Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract from last offseason.

Dodgers May Be Out of the Juan Soto Sweepstakes

The Dodgers are not completely out of the running. But, considering the offers from other teams, it is unlikely Soto will land in Los Angeles.

The Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and Red Sox are all willing to battle in a bidding war for Soto. Meanwhile, the Dodgers seem hesitant to join as they have already made a big deal with another free agent.

The Dodgers already signed two-time Cy Young pitcher Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract this offseason. Los Angeles is also favored to acquire Japanese-born pitcher Roki Sasaki for his rookie MLB season in 2025. Additionally, the franchise has to make a decision on re=signing free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who is seeking a multiyear deal.

Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, said that the 26-year-old has met with all interested teams and is in the process of evaluating each offer. Los Angeles reportedly met with Soto but many insiders believe that the Dodgers will not acquire the five-time Silver Slugger.

If Soto is looking to maximize his salary on a long-term deal, Los Angeles is not the way to go.