Toronto Blue Jays Expected to Pursue Top Free Agent Option Juan Soto

The Toronto Blue Jays are anticipated to pursue the best available free agent once more after missing out on Shohei Ohtani during the previous summer.

As reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Juan Soto will be challenged by the Blue Jays. That was what he wrote early on Sunday:

Baseball executives predict that the following five teams—the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies—will submit bids for free-agent outfielder Juan Soto this winter.

It’s hardly shocking that the Blue Jays are on this list. They obviously have the resources and desire to pull off a major upset, especially after coming dangerously close to acquiring Ohtani during the previous summer. In addition, the Blue Jays haven’t even won a playoff game in the previous five years despite being a team designed to succeed. To help them get over the hurdle, they require something extra, and Soto is very definitely that.

However, it will be intriguing to watch how the Blue Jays manage the money side of things. The choices they have to make about Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are significant, and adding Soto to the mix would make matters more difficult. Do they have the money to keep all three? Would they have to move Guerrero Jr. or Bichette if they signed Soto? Can two of the three be brought back?

All of those are questions that will require an immediate response; yet, Soto’s quality is unquestionable. With 39 home runs and 101 RBI this season for the New York Yankees, Soto is hitting.285 and is probably going to finish in the top three in the MVP voting this year.