Where do Blue Jays, Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox turn after missing on Soto?
It feels like MLB's offseason is about to erupt.
A number of high-profile free agents have already signed - Willy Adames, Blake Snell, Tyler O'Neill, Shane Bieber, Clay Holmes - but the reported 15-year, $765-million deal that Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets late Sunday will likely be the move that breaks the dam, causing every other team involved in the bidding to pivot.
Here's a look at where each team can go after missing out on Soto.
Boston Red Sox
Estimated luxury-tax payroll: $181 million
The Red Sox have been adamant that they're back in their contention window. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said over the weekend that it's "time for the club to deliver." Ownership, at least, is backing the front office as the team reportedly offered Soto $700 million. While that number fell well short of the winning bid, it's a sign that Boston is ready to return to the ring with the big boys.
Expect Breslow to turn his attention to signing Corbin Burnes or Max Fried or trading for a controllable starter like Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox are desperate for a legitimate No. 1 arm and have reportedly already met with each of those free agents. There will be plenty of competition, however: The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, among several others, are also looking to add a top-tier starter.
Having lost out on Soto and seeing O'Neill sign with the Baltimore Orioles means the Red Sox still need to add another bat - preferably one that hits from the right side of the plate. Teoscar Hernández has long been a target for the Red Sox, and they offered him a two-year deal last winter. Anthony Santander could also fill that role. Should Breslow miss on either option, the Red Sox could get creative. He's reportedly already offered Triston Casas to an AL club for pitching help. Should the team move Casas, they could transition Rafael Devers to first base, sign Alex Bregman, or trade for Nolan Arenado. That's a lot of moving pieces, sure, but with so much competition for the remaining free agents - and with the team desperate to make impact moves - Breslow needs to think outside the box.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Estimated luxury-tax payroll: $336 million
Soto to the Dodgers always seemed like the ultimate luxury item for a team already rich in prized possessions. The reigning World Series champs didn't need Soto and, while they made a competitive offer, they were nowhere near the Mets.
Los Angeles has already gotten the jump on most teams this winter, signing Snell and outfielder Michael Conforto, re-signing reliever Blake Treinen, and extending Tommy Edman. Still, there's some work to be done around the edges. Expect the Dodgers to pursue a reunion with Hernández after he fit in so well last season. They're also rumored to be the heavy favorites to ink star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, who was officially posted Monday morning.
Missing out on Soto is a considerable gut punch to the other teams on this list, but the Dodgers are the best team in the majors even without his services.
New York Yankees
Estimated luxury-tax payroll: $238 million
The Yankees traded for Soto last winter hoping that a year in pinstripes would be enough to sell him on spending his entire career in the Bronx. Not even a trip to the World Series could convince him to stay, and his move across town twists the knife even more. We'll see if Hal Steinbrenner takes this slight like his father would and begins a lavish spending spree. Yankees fans can only hope.
As good as the Yankees were last season - they were the AL champs, after all - they have sizable needs. Soto really was the perfect player for them: His left-handed swing and ability to control the strike zone fit well alongside Aaron Judge. There's no other Soto available on the market, but the potential to spread the money around could help balance the club.
Luckily for Brian Cashman, there are several options still available. While signing Pete Alonso away from the Mets would be a fun response to the Soto news, he represents what the Yankees already have: power, below-average defense, and strikeouts. Signing Christian Walker would likely be a better - and cheaper - alternative. From there, adding either Bregman or trading for Arenado would give the team a legitimate third baseman and allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move over to second base. Trading for Cody Bellinger could bring a valuable left-handed outfield bat into the mix.
Expect the Yankees to be in the running for Fried or Burnes. Should those pursuits fail, looking at second-tier starters like Walker Buehler, Nathan Eovaldi, Sean Manaea, or Jack Flaherty could help. Bringing in an established closer like Tanner Scott would also push breakout star Luke Weaver to a setup role.
Toronto Blue Jays
Estimated luxury-tax payroll: $203 million
Dec. 8 hasn't been kind to the Blue Jays - Soto's decision to join the Mets came on the one-year anniversary of the Shohei Ohtani plane tweet, as Toronto missed out on its big swing to land another star free agent.
The Blue Jays are the most difficult team to read. After an incredibly disappointing 2024 campaign that saw them sell at the deadline and miss the playoffs, general manager Ross Atkins has been adamant the team is trying to keep its competitive window open.
Priority No. 1 has to be a massive extension offer for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Baseball's free agency has become incredibly competitive after some down years, with teams willing to pay a premium for star players. Guerrero is a homegrown piece that repeatedly said he wants to remain with the club long term. You have to imagine he's been paying close attention to the pursuits of Ohtani and Soto. Toronto will likely have to overpay - which is a bit of a relative term - to persuade Guerrero not to chase his own big deal in free agency. What message does it send to the fan base - and the rest of the roster - if the team isn't willing to do whatever it takes to sign one of its own?
The problem for the Blue Jays, however, is that the free-agent market will likely move too quickly for a Guerrero extension to get done first. The team needs help in almost every area of the roster, and it's been reported that they've been looking at both the top options in the starting pitching market and on the position player side. Fried or Burnes should be pursued but, luckily for Toronto, the rotation is in a good spot, so even adding from the second tier of arms like Buehler, Eovaldi, Flaherty, or Nick Pivetta isn't a bad consolation prize.
It'll be interesting to see how much the Blue Jays have to spend. The team dipped under the luxury tax last season and currently sits roughly $40 million under the threshold. A couple of big expenditures would eat away at that space rather quickly, though if the club really is looking to be competitive, it's going to have to spend.
Alonso or Walker could be a fit, though they would slot in as a designated hitter at times, or could force Guerrero over to third base. That shouldn't be the No. 1 option. Bregman would be a great fit at third base and would bring championship pedigree to the club. There are concerns about how his contract would age, but the Blue Jays will need to take some uncomfortable risks if they want to play at the top of the market. Santander or Hernández - though they already tried the latter once - represent the power bat the team needs. Jurickson Profar, Max Kepler, Ha-seong Kim, or Gleyber Torres represent options further down the line. Trading for Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki could be a nice fit, too.
If that wasn't enough, the bullpen needs several impact arms after bottoming out last season. Scott is easily the best option but would force the organization to spend much more on a reliever than it ever has. There are other, less expensive veterans available - like Chris Martin, Kirby Yates (tried that before, too), Tanner Rainey, José Leclerc, Tommy Kahnle, and Kenley Jansen - who have back-end experience.
Chris Bassitt acknowledged during the season that it felt like the Blue Jays didn't have a pivot after missing Ohtani. We'll see if the front office learned its lesson.