NL West Team Seen as Serious Threat to Yankees in Juan Soto Sweepstakes: Insider

Getty The Yankees are preparing to try to re-sign Juan Soto this winter. Could the Los Angeles Dodgers be a serious threat to steal him away?

Juan Soto is having a tremendous 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees. His timing is perfect, too – the 25-year-old is set to hit free agency this offseason. Could the Los Angeles Dodgers be a serious threat to steal him away from the Yankees?

Jon Heyman of the New York Post ranked 10 MLB teams who could have a realistic shot at pursuing Soto this upcoming winter. While he ranked the Yankees and New York Mets as the top two options, the Dodgers are third on his list. His only comment on them potentially pursuing Soto was: “Are there limits?”

Heyman is referencing the offseason Los Angeles had last winter. They acquired Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernandez and others, committing more than $1 billion in player salary.

The Dodgers aren’t the only National League West team on Heyman’s list. He also listed the San Francisco Giants fourth and even the San Diego Padres (his former team) 10th. Heyman wondered whether pitcher-friendly Oracle Park would be a dealbreaker for the Giants and whether Soto — who is projected to get a deal worth at least $50 million a year — is likely beyond San Diego’s budget.

Assessing Juan Soto’s Fit With the Dodgers

Any MLB team would love to insert a slugger like Soto, 25, into their lineup. He’s hitting .307/.438/.615 with 34 home runs, 87 RBI, 103 runs scored and 102 walks through 544 plate appearances. But how exactly could he fit into the Dodgers’ outfield mix?

Outfielders on Los Angeles’ active roster include Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, Kevin Kiermaier, Jason Heyward and Andy Pages, per FanGraphs’ Roster Resource. Chris Taylor and Tommy Edman are also on the roster but on the injured list.

This area of the Dodgers’ roster has some flexibility heading into 2025. Betts is under contract until 2032, so he’s not going anywhere. Taylor, Edman and Pages are also under contract through at least 2025, but Hernandez, Kiermaier and Heyward are scheduled to be free agents in November.

Soto has primarily played right field for the Bombers in 2024. That’s where Betts is stationed after returning from the injured list on August 12, but he can play other positions, including second base, to make room.

If the Dodgers can offer Soto the kind of contract he’ll be looking for, there certainly seems to be a path where they can fit him into their expected roster dynamic.

What Kind of Contract Will Juan Soto Sign This Winter?

Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last winter. Since $680 million of it is getting deferred, the present-day value of his deal is about $460 million. That’s still the richest contract in MLB history. It’s also likely a number Soto and agent Scott Boras will be looking to surpass.

The $500 million mark has been a popular number in Soto contract projections over the past few months. He has rejected several extension proposals over the years. That includes a 15-year, $440 million proposal from the Washington Nationals before they traded him to San Diego in 2022.

His performance has only gotten better since then. The 2024 season is on track to be his second straight campaign of 30-plus homers and at least 100 RBI. That homer total could also be pushing 40 by the end of the regular season.

The Yankees seem like Soto’s most logical long-term landing spot. While the Mets could be one of the biggest threats to the Bombers, this past winter showed the league the Dodgers can’t be counted out of anything.