The Philadelphia Phillies plan to meet with superstar free-agent outfielder Juan Soto at some point, although nothing has been scheduled yet. Soto has already met with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees and is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Dodgers next. However, it's believed that no offers have been made to Soto yet. The Phillies already have one of the most complete rosters in the game, but they continue to look for ways to improve, and their ownership has shown a willingness to pay for some of the top free agents. It's believed that Soto prefers to stay in New York, but the Phillies could become a "stalking horse," according to Phillies CEO John Middleton. However, Mets owner Steve Cohen is willing to beat any other club's offer to Soto by $50 million, according to a source.
As expected, free-agent outfielder Juan Soto declined the New York Yankees' $21.05 million qualifying offer on Tuesday. It means that if Soto signs with another team on the free-agent market this offseason, the Yankees will receive draft-pick compensation. The 26-year-old is expected to land a mega deal for over 10 years and potentially for more than $600 million after leading the Yankees to the World Series in his first year in the Bronx in 2024. The Yankees would really like to bring him back, but the crosstown New York Mets could be looking to outbid them and steal Soto away. Other teams already involved are the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Soto is a generational talent and had a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBI in 157 regular-season games for the Yankees while leading the league with 128 runs scored.
Free-agent outfielder Juan Soto has already met with the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, and his agent, Scott Boras, met with the New York Yankees on Monday. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the next team up to meet with Soto, possibly as early as Tuesday, according to sources. No conclusion is expected before Thanksgiving next Thursday, but the feeling around the industry is that he could make a decision before the winter meetings, which begin on Dec. 9. The superstar outfielder is expected to sign a deal for at least 10 years and for a dollar amount that could exceed $600 million. One source said Soto has spoken with at least one other mystery team. Other teams that could meet with Soto include the Giants, Phillies and Rays, with Tampa being the biggest long shot. The Mets and Yankees are considered the favorites to secure Soto's services this offseason.
The Boston Red Sox had a "productive" first meeting with free-agent outfielder Juan Soto in southern California on Thursday night, according to a source with knowledge of the sit-down meeting. Team president Sam Kennedy, chairman Tom Werner, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora were all in attendance for a meeting that lasted roughly three hours. Soto was said to be impressed by the presentation in which Boston laid out their plans for the future. The Red Sox didn't discuss money or terms with Soto and did not make a formal offer at this early stage of Soto's free-agent process. The 26-year-old superstar could be seeking a deal for longer than 10 years and with a total value potentially exceeding $500 million. He's expected to remain in California through early next week for additional meetings with the Yankees, Blue Jays and Mets, among others, interested in his services.
Giants Not Currently Scheduled To Meet With Juan Soto
The San Francisco Giants don't currently have a meeting scheduled with free-agent outfielder Juan Soto, according to team sources. The New York Yankees and New York Mets are considered the favorites to land the generational talent on the open market this year, but they won't be the only clubs in the mix. It was reported earlier on Tuesday that the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox also plan to meet with Soto's team soon, while the Giants could eventually get involved, too. The Los Angeles Dodgers could also be in the mix, but they'd likely need Soto's price to come down. ESPN's Kiley McDaniels projects Soto to land a contract for around 14 years and north of $600 million. The Yankees might have the most incentive to re-sign him after the 26-year-old Dominican led them to the World Series with a .288/.419/.569 slash line with a league-leading 128 runs and a career-high 41 home runs.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox have free-agent outfielder Juan Soto at the top of their offseason wish lists and are planning to meet with him soon, according to major-league sources. The Blue Jays are serious about adding a star alongside first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after losing out on Shohei Ohtani last winter. In addition to Soto, the Red Sox figure to be aggressive in the starting pitching market. The two favorites to land Soto are the New York Yankees and New York Mets, who also have meetings scheduled with him. Because of his age (26), Soto is expected to warrant the longest contract in baseball history with an expected guarantee in excess of $600 million. The Los Angeles Dodgers won't chase after Soto, but they could get involved in the unlikely event that his market softens later this offseason.
According to Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times, the Rays have interest in free-agent outfielder Juan Soto. Topkin noted that New York Post reporter Jon Heyman broke this news first and described the Rays as a "surprise" and a "mystery entrant" in the Soto sweepstakes. This is quite a surprise, as the Rays typically do not offer large contracts during the free-agency period. However, a superstar like Soto could change their mindset. Last season, Soto enjoyed a fantastic debut campaign in the Bronx and posted a stellar .288/.419/.569 slash line with 41 home runs and 109 RBI. He once again held an incredible 18.1% walk rate and 57.0% hard-hit rate. No matter where Soto plays during the 2025 campaign, fantasy managers should view him as a high-end, first-round selection during draft season.
Yankees, Mets Set To Discuss Contract Negotiations With Juan Soto In California
Both New York Mets and Yankees owners Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner, respectively, are expected to fly to California to meet with top free-agent outfielder Juan Soto, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Cohen is set to meet with the 26-year-old and his agent, Scott Boras, sometime next week. Steinbrenner was not given an exact date but was assured he would have the opportunity to meet with the superstar. In his debut season in the Bronx, Soto posted a stellar .288/.419/.569 slash line with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and seven stolen bases. Soto showed an incredible eye at the plate with an 18.1% walk rate and an 18.3% chase rate, which placed him in the 100th and 98th percentiles, respectively, among qualified hitters. Both owners are expected to remain at the forefront of the bidding war for Soto the entire offseason.
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is heading west soon to meet with free-agent outfielder Juan Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, according to industry sources. Soto, a generational free agent, is expected to be pursued most heavily by the Mets and New York Yankees this offseason. Several other owners are expected to meet with Boras and Soto in the coming weeks. The deep-pocketed Cohen has been active on the free-agent market since taking over the team, and he could get into a bidding war for Soto with the Yankees and perhaps one or two other big-market clubs. The 26-year-old superstar outfielder could command a deal for 10-plus years and approaching $700 million. It helps that the Mets have $90 million alone coming off the books this offseason with the departures of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and James McCann in the middle of their contracts.
Juan Soto Projected To Sign For 13 Years, $611 Million
ESPN's Kiley McDaniels projects free-agent outfielder Juan Soto to sign a 13-year, $611 million ($47 million average annual value) this winter as a generational free agent at the top of this year's free-agent class. Soto's contract will be the biggest that agent Scott Boras has ever negotiated. McDaniel writes that he wouldn't be surprised if Soto gets a heavily deferred contract that totals more than $700 million in nominal value. Obviously, not many teams will be able to afford the left-handed slugger, and it will likely come down to how aggressive the New York Yankees and New York Mets want to get this offseason. The 26-year-old Dominican had a fantastic first year in pinstripes with the Yankees, slashing .288/.419/.569 with a .989 OPS, career-high 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a league-high 128 runs during the regular season, so the Yankees would surely love to bring him back.
