While the MLB offseason has begun, there has been virtually no movement across baseball. The Hot Stove is hardly even simmering, but a lot of dominos will fall once the biggest one topples — Juan Soto.

The top free agent is still visiting with clubs, but it’s thought to be between the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. Soto’s decision will be the spark that lights the Hot Stove, but Braves fans should still be watching his free agency closely, even if Atlanta isn’t involved in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Because if “the most likely scenario” comes to fruition, the Braves will be worse off. According to Ken Rosenthal, that scenario is the Mets signing the top free agent of the offseason.

“The most likely scenario” is Juan Soto to the @Mets says @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/AaBoP2hwur

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 19, 2024

Soto might be the toughest out in baseball. He takes his walks and hits for both contact and power. The 26-year-old finished the 2024 campaign with a .288/.419/.569 slash line, 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, 128 R, and 178 OPS+.

If all Juan Soto cares about is signing the most lucrative contract, this doesn’t seem like a race that needs to be run. There’s no reality where the Dodgers, Yankees, or any other club can outbid Steve Cohen. He is by far the richest owner in baseball, and without a salary cap, there’s literally no stopping the former hedge fund manager from giving Soto an empty check.

For the Braves, Soto will return to the division where he began his career with the Nationals. It would be a difficult pill to swallow — another NL East foe signing a superstar.

The Phillies already have a ton of star power in Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Zack Wheeler. The Nationals have a couple of homegrown stars brewing, and all of a sudden, the division is in an arms race.

Hopefully, for the Braves’ sake, Juan Soto’s free agency is deeper than just dollars and cents.

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Photographer: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire