Could the Toronto Blue Jays be making a massive bid for New York Yankees All-Star Juan Soto, just one year after missing out on Shohei Ohtani?
Last December, the Blue Jays and their fanbase were swept up in excitement, believing they had secured Ohtani, the two-way superstar, after MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweeted that Ohtani was headed to Toronto. The rumor sent social media into a frenzy, with fans even tracking jets from Southern California to Toronto, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ohtani’s arrival.
However, the buzz turned out to be false. Ohtani was still at home in California, and the jet that fans were tracking belonged to billionaire and “Shark Tank” investor Robert Herjavec. After the excitement died down, Ohtani went on to sign a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers—the largest contract in professional sports history.
Still reeling from the Ohtani saga, the Blue Jays are reportedly gearing up to pursue another generational talent: Juan Soto.
According to NJ.com, Toronto is expected to make Soto an “astronomical offer,” potentially in the range of 15 years and $600 million, once the offseason begins. A former teammate of Soto, who shares the same agent, Scott Boras, confirmed to the outlet that the Blue Jays are preparing a significant push for the superstar.
When asked about the report after the Yankees’ Game 3 ALDS win over the Kansas City Royals, Soto responded, “I don’t know anything about that. They can’t talk to me now. Let’s see what happens in the offseason.”
Tim Britton of The Athletic projects that Soto could land a contract worth around 14 years and $560 million.
Soto, who had a stellar regular season, was a potential AL MVP candidate, if not for his teammate Aaron Judge. Soto posted an impressive 7.8 WAR (wins above replacement), a .989 OPS, 178 OPS+, with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 128 runs scored.
In the Yankees’ ALDS victory over the Royals, Soto hit .286 with a .746 OPS. The Yankees will now face the winner of the Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians series in the ALCS, which starts Monday in New York.
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