Report: Yankees rival ‘highly motivated’ to sign Juan Soto
Feb 25, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Juan Soto (22) smiles in the dugout against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Virtually every MLB team will at least take a look at signing Juan Soto in free agency, but only a few have a realistic chance of actually signing him. One new team is being thrown around as a potential viable threat to land the star outfielder.
Industry sources view the Toronto Blue Jays as perhaps the team most well-equipped to challenge the New York Yankees and New York Mets for Soto, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Blue Jays are said to be “highly motivated” in a pursuit of Soto and appear willing to spend big to try to make it happen.
On the surface, the Blue Jays would appear to be a long shot. There are certain factors that work against them, including higher taxes in Canada. However, they were a very serious suitor for Shohei Ohtani last winter, so they have swung for the fences before. That said, they were left wondering if they were as big a factor as they thought they were after Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead.
The Blue Jays are coming off a 74-88 season, but they had made the playoffs in the previous two seasons. They also have the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette in the fold already, even if their long-term futures are uncertain. The Jays definitely have some appeal, but whether it is enough to fend off the New York teams remains to be seen.
