Per DraftKings, the Yankees (-145) are followed by the Mets (+180) as the two huge favorites to sign Juan Soto to what could be the richest contract in MLB history this offseason. The Dodgers (+1200), Cubs (+1800), Blue Jays (+2000) and Giants (+2000) were also listed, along with Any Other Team (+1200).
After slashing .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and 128 runs scored during his one season with the Yankees, Soto is one of the most coveted free agents in MLB history. The just-turned-26 year old has already played seven full MLB seasons with a career slash line of .285/.421/.532 along with 201 home runs, 592 RBI and 655 runs scored in 936 regular season games. As a World Series champion back in 2019, he’s on a direct path to the Hall of Fame.
Per Spotrac, Soto’s negotiations are projected to begin at 14 years and $514 million. I wouldn’t be shocked if the winning team gets into the $600 million range for fewer years than that based on the generational type of talent he is. Shohei Ohtani received a deferred $700 million contract last summer and I expect this contract to come in right behind that as the richest in baseball history.
Soto made it clear that no team is out of the running for his services, thus opening the door to anyone to come in and approach Scott Boras with their most attractive offers possible.
In my opinion, there’s no better place for Soto than the Orioles, who have a new billionaire owner (David Rubenstein) looking to spend money, an awesome, young system of prospects, strong core and small payroll at the moment. With Anthony Santander also in free agency, this could be an upgrade in the middle of Baltimore’s lineup and would instantly make the Orioles an annual World Series contender, just like the Braves and their complete lineup in the National League.
Surrounded by Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Ryan Mountcastle, Heston Kjerstad, Coby Mayo, Cedric Mullins and others, Soto could fit into right field, hit second or third and potentially enjoy even more production than he did in his last stops due to the overall elite nature of the offense from top to bottom.
In 20 games played at Camden Yards, Soto has slashed .329/.430/.575 with five homers and it’s also worth mentioning that his brother Elian Soto is a member of the Nationals. That’s one of the reasons why some have linked him there, but signing with Baltimore would keep him close to his younger bro if that means something to him. Camden Yards was the 4th-best MLB stadium for left-handed hitters to slug home runs in last season, so the setting would be a logical fit. (Yankee Stadium ranked 7th and Citi Field ranked 25th.)
So, while the Yankees and Mets are the favorites to open the checkbooks with gigantic offers, don’t count out the O’s to come up with perhaps the most attractive of the bunch when considering his supporting cast and setting Soto up to succeed so he can continue ascending as one of the best left-handed hitters ever for the rest of his career. Now we just have to see how aggressive they're willing to get and if they'll have an all-in attitude as an organization.
Even if he doesn't end up signing with the O's, +1200 odds are essentially a bet on the 24 remaining teams that aren't explicitly listed in the market, so there's still a ton of value!
Want to bet on the MLB offseason? Do it at DraftKings! CLICK HERE to sign up, make your first $5 bet and get $200 in bonus bets immediately!
Related
