“Look for the Blue Jays to make an astronomical offer” - Juan Soto’s friend shares surprising free agency rumor after team missed out on Shohei Ohtani
Juan Soto has continued to prove why he is one of the best players in the MLB over and over again this season. After another All-Star campaign, Soto has kept that momentum rolling into the playoffs, helping lead the New York Yankees to a 6-5 victory in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Regardless of whether the New York Yankees make a deep postseason run or not, Juan Soto is going to enter a potentially historic offseason. The 25-year-old is slated to enter unrestricted free agency after the season and is expected to command one of the richest contracts in MLB history.
While the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets have all been linked as potential suitors for the outfielder, according to one of Soto's friends, another team should be considered a legitimate contender. According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly ramping up to be major players this offseason.
“Look for the Blue Jays to make an astronomical offer, I heard it with my own ears,” an anonymous friend of Soto said of the situation.
Although Soto's friend decided to remain anonymous, according to the report, he is a veteran former teammate of the Yankees superstar. The source also reportedly shares the same agent as Soto, Scott Boras.
“The Blue Jays think Soto would be perfect for their lineup and team," the friend continued.
According to Juan Soto's anonymous friend, the Toronto Blue Jays are hoping to replicate the star's chemistry with Aaron Judge in New York with their own superstar, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
It remains to be seen if Soto would even consider playing for the Toronto Blue Jays for a few different reasons. Not only would Soto have to move to another country, but the club was not exactly competitive this season. That being said, for the right price, they could become a desirable landing spot.
The Blue Jays potential pursuit of Juan Soto is reminiscent of their push for Shohei Ohtani last offseason
If the Blue Jays officially enter the Juan Soto sweepstakes, it will be difficult to shutdown the comparisons to last offseason when they were considered finalists for Shohei Ohtani. The Blue Jays seemingly ignored signing any other free agent or even having a backup plan, in order to try and sign Shohei.
Ultimately, Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays were left high and dry. The same could potentially happen if they take an "all-in" approach to try and sign Soto, but hopefully for fans, this time they will have alternate plans in place in case he signs elsewhere.