The 2023 MLB Free Agency period was one of the most exciting in league history with Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers' decision. However, another marquee player could change teams during the 2024 period. New York Yankees star Juan Soto will enter free agency during the winter, and a renowned MLB Insider noted a key thought Soto shared in late July.
Soto was asked to name the MLB star he would still like to play with, and he answered with Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. As a result, New York Post columnist Jon Heyman proposed that Soto's desired pairing with Ohtani could suggest a departure from New York during the winter. There is a chance Soto fields offers from the West.
“Soto by all accounts is loving his time in pinstripes, and there’s some belief he’d prefer the East Coast, but The Post reported he was in serious talks with the Padres last summer, then discussions were halted when late Padres owner Peter Seidler became ill,” Heyman wrote.
Juan Soto joined the Yankees in December of 2023 via trade after a two-year stint with the Padres. Soto was projected to make a large impact on the team, and so far he has not disappointed. Through 94 games, the 25-year-old has hit 23 home runs, accumulated 66 RBI, and held a .985 OPS, all of which are top-10 MLB rankings. In addition, he bats a .295 average, good enough for 14th in the league.
Soto helped the Yankees get off to a strong 2024 start, where they held the top seed in the AL East for a significant portion of the season. New York cooled down some going to the All-Star break, going 4-6 in their last 10 games. Yet, they still possess a second-place standing in the division.
Where will Juan Soto land in 2024 MLB Free Agency?
If Soto continues his stout production with the Yankees and helps the team make a deep playoff run, there is a good chance he will remain in the Bronx. However, as Heyman noted, he could look to fulfill his teammate dream with Shohei Ohtani on the Dodgers. While opportunity and personnel are big factors, Heyman said that Soto's decision will “largely come down to the deal,” the financial offer he receives.
In June, a group of MLB Insiders came together to predict the earnings Soto could command. Their responses indicated the star first baseman getting roughly $500 million over several years, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
The average of all projections was a contract for 11.6 years and $482.2 million with a $41.4 million average annual value (AAV). The median projection of the deals was 13 years, $500 million, numbers that align with the industry consensus of Soto's contract.
McDaniel also gave his thoughts on the suitors that will likely compete for Soto's services.
“It's still very early, of course, but the Yankees and Mets were by far the most common answer when discussing potential outcomes with our panel of baseball insiders. Beyond them, the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays were all brought up multiple times — but everyone else mentioned is seen as secondary to the New York clubs at this point,” McDaniel said.
It will be interesting to see where the Yankees star ends up in what will be an exciting MLB Free Agency period.
