LOS ANGELES — The floor for Juan Soto is $600 million.
The bidding for the free-agent
MLB outfielder has surpassed that amount, according to two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly.
Agent Scott Boras said Tuesday at Dodger Stadium that Soto has started the process of eliminating potential landing spots, but did not specify which ones.
The clubs publicly known to be most serious about Soto are the
New York Mets,
New York Yankees,
Boston Red Sox,
Toronto Blue Jaysand
Los Angeles Dodgers. The two people briefed on the negotiations said that all remaining contenders have made offers above $600 million.
The expectation within the industry is that Soto will make his decision by the end of the Winter Meetings, which begin in Dallas on Sunday, and possibly even before the meetings kick off. But Boras said he doesn’t expect an “imminent” decision.
Soto, 26, is on the verge of a landmark contract for two reasons: He is young for a free agent, and teams consider him a once-in-a-generation offensive talent.
His deal is expected to be for at least 12 years, and its present-day value almost certainly will beat the record
Shohei Ohtani set with the Dodgers last offseason when he signed a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract.
Ohtani’s deal was valued at $460 million for luxury tax purposes, and $438 million by the players’ union.
The Mets are widely regarded as the favorite for Soto, with many in the industry believing the team’s owner, Steve Cohen, will top any rival bid. But the Yankees desperately want to keep Soto as a complement to
Aaron Judge, and the Red Sox have emerged as a surprising force in the negotiations. The Blue Jays and Dodgers are considered longer shots, though the Jays were willing to match the Dodgers’ bid for Ohtani last offseason, and seem to be just as intently focused on Soto.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5967592/2024/12/03/juan-soto-signing-update-600-million/