According to Jon Heyman, the New York Yankees have increased their initial offer for outfielder Juan Soto, as the sweepstakes for his services have kicked off. The left-handed slugger received initial bids from the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees according to Jon Morosi but the second wave of bids has seemed to come in, with teams beginning to get even more serious about their pursuit for the generational outfielder. Heyman also reported that the Yankees included multiple opt-outs in the offer as that’s something that Soto is pursuing in a contract.
Teams are willing to exceed the $600 million threshold for his services, although no word of the figures in these offers have surfaced as of yet.
Yankees Continue Aggressive Pursuit To Retain Juan Soto
Juan Soto is going to command record-setting money this winter, and the Yankees are hoping they’re the ones to cut the check to the star outfielder. Jon Heyman’s report about their second offer for Soto mentioned that it was an upgrade over their initial offer, the details of which are largely unknown. Some reports suggested that the second round of bidding would occur closer to the Winter Meetings, but it seems the sweepstakes are starting to heat up.
Teams interested in Soto’s services include the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Mets, and Dodgers, all of whom present unique threats to poach him from the Yankees. The team that has seemingly the deepest pockets is just across town in Queens, and Heyman noted that Juan Soto is their top priority as of now. The industry expectation is that Cohen will not be outbid, but whether the Yankees will continue to match any offer the Mets bring up remains to be seen.
Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles all lurk as potential destinations for his services as well, although the expectation is that this will come down to the two New York teams.
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Whether this report is a ploy for Scott Boras to get more money from other teams or not, the bidding for Juan Soto seems to be underway and moving somewhat quickly. Some reporters believe this could come to an end right before the Winter Meetings while others believe that the sweepstakes will end during it, but this saga is expected to be over before Christmas.
It would make sense given the glutton of star free agents awaiting the news on Juan Soto, as some of the top spenders on the market are laser-focused on his decision. Heyman mentioned that the Yankees have spoken to both Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, although they haven’t presented an offer to either pitcher as of yet. The Yankees also checked in on Blake Snell before he signed with the Dodgers to a five-year $182 million deal, so it’s clear that they’re doing some due dilligence.
Pitching could be the focus for Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner after the Soto sweepstakes, regardless of where he ends up, especially since the Yankees have some veteran pitchers they can move on the trade market.