Juan Soto’s free agency continues to be the main storyline of the 2024 offseason, and on Tuesday, Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, provided a massive update on his superstar’s plans.
Boras said to J.P. Hoornstra of Newsweek Sports that Soto has “begun the process of eliminating teams.” He also said his signing is not imminent.
Many baseball insiders have speculated that Soto could sign before the end of the Winter Meetings, which take place next week in Dallas. While that could still very well be the case, Soto and Boras aren’t going to rush their decision. However, it’s a big step that teams are starting to get eliminated.
The Dodgers are one of the six teams who have been heavily linked to Soto, but they appear to be a long shot compared to the other clubs. The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays all appear to be making big efforts to sign Soto. The Philadelphia Phillies are a team that keeps getting brought up, too.
Soto is widely expected to get a contract that exceeds $600 million, and potentially even reaches $700 million. Soto is coming off a 2024 season in which he slashed .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBIs.
He made his fourth All-Star team and finished third in American League MVP voting behind his teammate Aaron Judge and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
While the Dodgers have a clear need in the outfield, it appears more likely they look to retain Teoscar Hernández, who will cost a fraction of the price of the 26-year-old Soto. However, until the Dodgers are officially ruled out, Andrew Friedman and co. can never be counted out to make a splash.
