Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays among teams to call up Juan Soto in free agency

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays are two teams worth calling about Juan Soto as a free agent.

Talkin’ Baseball had note on social networks:

The Rays are one of seven known teams that have called about Juan Soto, according to @JonHeyman.

Other teams: Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Giants.

Now, Blue Jays There have long been rumors that they are at least interested in Soto. They were reportedly one of the last teams to compete in the Shohei Ohtani lottery last winter, so they have the money to go into deep waters. Soto is almost certainly looking at a deal worth more than $500 million, and early projections could well be closer to the $700 million mark.

If Soto were to join the Blue Jays, he would team with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to form a very strong core in 2025. The Blue Jays are built to win with this core and have never even won a playoff game. during the Guerrero Jr./Bichette era, so Soto certainly contributed to that. Of course, questions may arise in the future. Could the team sign Guerrero Jr. long-term in addition to Soto? Or will they be forced to let him go as a free agent after the season? The same can be said about Bichette, who also became a free agent after a year.

The Rays’ inclusion on this list is much more surprising since they are known for being frugal. Are the Rays simply doing their due diligence when signing up? Are they planning to change their organizational philosophy and enter the big money market? Or could they get creative and offer Soto a short-term deal with a really high annual value?

Additionally, just a few years ago, the team paid Wander Franco an 11-year contract worth $182 million. If Franco is unable to play again due to his legal issues, perhaps this deal can be partially reversed by returning some of the money to the Rays.

Tampa Bay A season ago, he finished fourth in the American League East.

As for Soto, he helped the Yankees reach the World Series last season. He hit 41 homers and drove in 109 runs while appearing in another All-Star Game. He is only 26 years old.

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