The New York Yankees have been one of the best teams across Major League Baseball all season, powered by a strong offensive lineup. New York paired star outfielder Aaron Judge with another star outfielder in Juan Soto this offseason, creating one of the more lethal duos in baseball.
Soto was acquired by the Yankees from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster trade, giving New York some extra star power. The left-hander is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season and it’s anyone’s guess where he will land in free agency.
MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post appeared on MLB Network to break it all down. He ranked his top five landing spots for Soto heading into the winter.
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Coming in at the No. 5 spot was the Toronto Blue Jays. After missing out on Shohei Ohtani last offseason, Toronto could be looking to make a massive splash this winter. Additionally, taking Soto from the Yankees would be a huge blow to New York.
Heyman’s fourth-ranked team is the San Francisco Giants. San Francisco has tried hard to land a true star in recent years but they haven’t had luck closing the deal. Soto knows Oracle Park well from his time with the Padres and could potentially head to the Bay Area.
In the third spot, Heyman listed the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles hasn’t been shy about adding talent in years past and Soto could help fully round out the loaded roster that they have.
“Number three, I have the Dodgers. Very desirable team, the stars have wanted to go there. Don’t know what the limit is. They’ve spent a lot, you never know. I’m not betting against the Dodgers. Well, it’s 15 to one. So maybe I have. Anyway, they’re number three.”
Coming in second place is the New York Mets. The Mets could really sting the Yankees by stealing Soto and with owner Steve Cohen, you can never count them out.
And lastly, in first place in Heyman’s ranking is the Yankees themselves.
“Number one, it’s obvious. It’s the Yankees, and I have them at even money. So 50-50, to keep them. There’s a lot going for the Yankees here. Obviously he’s got the adulation, the tradition, the location, plus Aaron Judge batting behind him, and it’s working out great so far. He’s second in basically every category right now, and certainly Judge is a help there. [It] was interesting to see that they intentionally walked Soto to get to Judge. I watched that game twice, by the way. But, yes, the Yankees, they got number one.”
Soto has previously stated that he has enjoyed his time with the Yankees, but money will talk. New York would love nothing more than to keep him long-term but in the end, if they don’t offer a deal that he deems to be fair, Soto will walk away for nothing.
His free agency will be followed closely, much like Ohtani’s was last offseason. Soto is one of the biggest stars in the entire league so he will have plenty of teams vying for his services.
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