"Can't imagine Blue Jays afford Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette" - MLB analyst diffident on Toronto acquiring star free agent
Juan Soto is one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. He is fresh off a World Series trip with the New York Yankees and is bound to sign a lengthy and lucrative contract close to what Shohei Ohtani signed last offseason (a 10-year, $700 million deal with the LA Dodgers).
Among all MLB teams, the Yankees and the New York Mets have emerged as top contenders to sign the free agent. Another team that is expected to make a big splash this offseason is the Toronto Blue Jays, who barely missed out on signing Ohtani last offseason and may not repeat the same mistake.
MLB Network's Adnan Virk discussed Juan Soto's free agency on the Marty Caswell MartyTimeTV show. Virk mentioned that he would like his hometown team to go after Soto but is not sure whether they can afford existing Blue Jays stars Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette beyond next season.
"It’s the final year for Vlad and Bo, and the Jays had a terrible, disappointing season," Virk said (6:00 onwards). "Signing Soto would be a move that says, 'We’re putting all of our chips on the table.' They could give him $650 million, see what happens, and try to win a World Series. If they don’t, they’ll likely have to lose Vlad or Bo—if not both—because I can’t imagine they could afford two of those guys, much less all three.
"I’m intrigued by Toronto. They’re a much bigger market than people realize—they are Canada’s team, backed by Rogers Communications, so they can afford it. I think the sting of last year hurts. The Jays were willing to give Ohtani $600–700 million but weren’t able to get him and failed to pivot effectively. I hope Toronto makes a big splash," he added.
Virk also highlighted that Juan Soto's sweepstakes will go down as a bidding war between Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and Mets owner Steve Cohen.
MLB Insider reports on contenders to sign Juan Soto
Last offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays entered into a bidding war with the Los Angeles Dodgers in an attempt to sign Shohei Ohtani. However, they fell short with their offer lurking somewhere between $600-$650 million and the Dodgers $700 million deal.
This offseason presents another opportunity for the Blue Jays to bolster their roster with the potential acquisition of Juan Soto. Giving weight to the story is USA Today's Bob Nightengale, who believes the Blue Jays can make a big offer to sign Soto.
“The Blue Jays still have $700 million burning a hole in their wallet, and after Yankees refuse to budge from their original offer, the Blue Jays swoop in and get their man for $630 million over 14 years,” Nightengale wrote in his column.
At the moment, while it still seems like a two-way race between the Yankees and the Mets for Juan Soto, the Blue Jays are ready to expand their payroll.