What team do YOU think Soto will sign with?

[simplicio]

My biggest question about the Mets is whether they can pay him, actually build the rest of the team (they need what, 3 starters?) and still reset the tax (if that matters to Cohen anyway). Hoping Breslow has been selling Soto on how far away they are.

 

[NoXInNixon]

I want to believe.

 

[chrisfont9]

Voted Red Sox. I'm way too excited about the noise around him coming here, and I'm probably setting myself up for a huge disappointment.

My gut tells me the Yankees are kinda/sorta out, and they just don't know it yet. I have this twisted fantasy where he signs here, and trashes the Yankee organization on his way out - calling Boone an idiot and Judge/Cole a couple of apathetic players who entering the downswing of their careers.

I'd settle for him just being exasperated with Alex Verdugo

 

[Heating up in the bullpen]

He's coming to us. Papi will be our MVP in this endeavor.

+1
Do not underestimate the persuasive powers of David Ortiz. The man who brought three championships to Boston. The man who survived an assassination attempt. The man who put an entire city on his back to recover from the marathon bombing. David Ortiz will deliver Juan Soto to the Red Sox.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Do not underestimate the persuasive powers of David Ortiz. The man who brought three championships to Boston. The man who survived an assassination attempt. The man who put an entire city on his back to recover from the marathon bombing. David Ortiz will deliver Juan Soto to the Red Sox.

And ... if he doesn't?

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

And ... if he doesn't?

Then he is Bellhorn to us!

 

[StuckOnYouk]

I think it's Mets then Us then the Yanks.

the Mets will outbid everyone. Our one saving grace may be the fact we could be more flexible with opt outs then NYM but who the hell knows.

if it is close I do believe we win out if he truly grew up idolizing the Sox DR legends.

 

[Auger34]

I think the Mets are the definite favorite because I think they will offer the most money. If it’s not the Mets, I think we are in 2nd place actually. I don’t see him going back to the Yanks

 

[LogansDad]

I'd settle for him just being exasperated with Alex Verdugo

Would certainly make that other trade from so many years ago worth it.

 

[OCD SS]

Voted “Boras Mystery Team” but that’s a cop out. If the $ are close, I think he signs with Sox. But Cohen will offer a crazy amount, and I’m not confident JWH can stomach the heights Cohen will bid.

 

[pdaj]

It's possible Soto could be using the Mets and others to get his preferred team to go as high as they're willing to stomach.

My heart says Sox.

My brain says Mets.

My fun, conspiracy theory side says the Jays shock the world with a massive, desperate overpay.

 

[Heating up in the bullpen]

And ... if he doesn't?

Well shit, I’ve been wrong before.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Then he is Bellhorn to us!

Between Bellhorn and Bailey Horn, it's been a big day

 

[Sox Pride]

I believe he’s a Sox fan
i know I’d take a little less to go where I wanted to go.
This isn”t necessarily an auction

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Even if Juan Soto hates Boston and can't stand the Red Sox franchise, I hope they still meet his price. They can pay him a Boston premium and I will be fine with it if they are planning to build around him.

"They just didn't want to play here" is a lame excuse. Many different kinds of businesses find ways to entice people to relocate to less desirable locales each and every day. They do it with incentives because humans typically respond to them. Especially professional athletes who are auctioning off their skills to the highest bidder.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

The Mets can pay him $1 million more per year from 2036 onward. That might make the difference.

 

[RobertsSteal]

The Mets can pay him $1 million more per year from 2036 onward. That might make the difference.

Is that the year that Bonilla Day ends?

 

[chawson]

"They just didn't want to play here" is a lame excuse. Many different kinds of businesses find ways to entice people to relocate to less desirable locales each and every day. They do it with incentives because humans typically respond to them. Especially professional athletes who are auctioning off their skills to the highest bidder.

Sure, but those businesses are not universally successful in enticing everyone they want, and some they do manage to win over with incentives end up not working out.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Is that the year that Bonilla Day ends?

Yes, yes it is.

 

[Skiponzo]

He's coming to us. Papi will be our MVP in this endeavor.

I really hope this is true, and I believe it might actually be possible, but my gut says the Yankees.

 

[nvalvo]

It's possible Soto could be using the Mets and others to get his preferred team to go as high as they're willing to stomach.

My heart says Sox.

My brain says Mets.

My fun, conspiracy theory side says the Jays shock the world with a massive, desperate overpay.

If you're looking for a rich team to come out of nowhere and shake things up with an outlandish offer, I'd guess the San Francisco Giants. They've been trying to spend more for years now.

 

[mikeford]

the 91 of you who voted Red Sox should probably be institutionalized.

It's gonna be the Yankees. Why would it be anything else?

 

[Timduhda]

the 91 of you who voted Red Sox should probably be institutionalized.

It's gonna be the Yankees. Why would it be anything else?

I don’t think my insurance will cover that.

 

[nvalvo]

If you're looking for a rich team to come out of nowhere and shake things up with an outlandish offer, I'd guess the San Francisco Giants. They've been trying to spend more for years now.

My top-ten team power rankings would be something like...

Mets
Red Sox
Yankees
Giants
Tigers
Phillies
Dodgers
...the field.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I voted the Mets because they have the deepest pockets and I believe that Soto wants to get paid.

But every time I think these aren’t my Daddy’s Yankees, they turn out to be my Daddy’s Yankees and they pay a shit load of cash for someone.

At the same time, I think the Sox are serious. Of course so are the Dodgers and Jays.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

I'll only believe he isn't signing with the MFY's when he doesn't sign with the MFY's

 

[E5 Yaz]

I'll only believe he isn't signing with the MFY's when he doesn't sign with the MFY's

This guy gets it

 

[xc world cup]

I have read comments to this point, and filtered them through my own thoughts. While opting to be repped by Boras suggests a player seeking to maximize $$ (and flexibility via opt-outs), I find myself more compelled to predict that the combination of (1) Papi, (2) Papi, (3) Theo, (4) being the clear and absolute face of the franchise in its coming () glory years and (5) no desire to return to NYY, spell Red Sox...Fenway as a home park provides a secondary assist

 

[snowmanny]

The Red Sox would have a decent chance if the bidding process was to fax your single best offer to Japan. And I know this is the fifteenth consecutive year that the Yankees enter FA with their eye on their budget for the first time. But I don’t see this being the case where the Yankees suddenly say “too expensive for my bottomless pit of cash,” and Cohen says “me too.”

happy to be proven wrong.

 

[Sam Ray Not]

Picked Red Sox, but also picked Harris +100 EVs.

 

[CKDexterHaven]

Yankees. He uses Mets/Cohen money to drive Steinbrenner up. The money will be stoopid money, which the more practical Sawx will find easy rationalizations not to match. Soto will want to play for Boston but the gap will be too significant. The Mets don’t have the Yanks’ tradition, history, caché, or promise of consistency. He might take slightly less to stay in the Bronx. Just not Boston less.

Hope I’m wrong and Cohen and Steinbrenner both have caps, despite the bluster. But I kinda feel like Steinbrenner has been playing things down as a strategery thing, not out of actual pessimism.

 

[Moviegoer]

Pretty sure the Mets offer is going to be '$3 million/ year more than anyone else has offered you for as many years as you want.'
Maybe Soto has other priorities deep down, but the Mets are not going to be outbid.

 

[deythur]

I assume it's the Yankees until it's not. I voted Phillies because it would be really annoying to have him Harper and Turner after they were all here in DC. I also won't rule out the Dodgers, ever.
That being said let's go Sox, get it done.

 

[Deweys New Stance]

Yeah, you guys are right, when the Yanks really want a free agent, they get that free agent. Just look at this year's World Series; their big off-season acquisition Yamamoto in pinstripes mowing down the Dodgers was the key to their 28th championship.

I voted Mets. Steve Cohen has vastly deeper pockets than Hal Steinbrenner and has George Steinbrenner's drive to win, money be damned. No way the Yanks are the high bid; if Soto does go back to them, it will because he decides he was comfortable enough there and doesn't want to take a long term risk on a new environment.

the 91 of you who voted Red Sox should probably be institutionalized.

It's gonna be the Yankees. Why would it be anything else?

If he signs with the Sox, will you have yourself committed?

 

[snowmanny]

The Yankees don't get all the free agents. They didn't get Cliff Lee, for example. They got outbid on Cano. But if this is a straight bidding war I am guessing Henry has a max, and I'm unconvinced that Hal has a max. And I'm fairly convinced Cohen does not. It's possible that this is the guy that the Red Sox have been waiting for and will just blow everyone out of the water, but that's not what I think will happen.

 

[Sille Skrub]

After the past 5-6 years, I am surprised 126 of you actually think he’s landing here. Lucy is going to pull back the football again and it will be another full throttle ride to disappointment for many of you.

 

[OCST]

It has to be the Yankees. Steinbrenner would never live it down if he went to either the Sox or the Mets.

He doesn’t seem to care much in that way.

 

[bluefenderstrat]

After the past 5-6 years, I am surprised 126 of you actually think he’s landing here. Lucy is going to pull back the football again and it will be another full throttle ride to disappointment for many of you.

I voted Sox because polls like this are silly and it’s really not that important to me where Soto goes for $600 million. If it’s here, great. If not, so what? There are good things on the horizon regardless.

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

I’m all in on Soto to the Sox. I need something to believe in until I can’t.

 

[sezwho]

I voted Sox because polls like this are silly and it’s really not that important to me where Soto goes for $600 million. If it’s here, great. If not, so what? There are good things on the horizon regardless.

Fair enough, that’s about as good a reason I’ve heard so don’t mean to sound critical…but I almost feel like we need another poll

I was genuinely curious about this most elite of RS discussion boards take on the topic, but can’t take the 30% as a serious position. Wish cast? Go ahead we’re fans! Edit - sorry I’ll go back to the thread where I can complain about them being cheap . The dream is alive!!

 

[Late Yclept Chanticleer]

Exactly. Also Hank/Hal et al will be trashed by the media and fans left and right if they don't pay him. So they will.

I don't think we'll get too many complaints from Hank if it doesn't go the MFY's way.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I don't think we'll get too many complaints from Hank if it doesn't go the MFY's way.

Not in the slightest.

My biggest worry is that the Sox opening offer isn’t close enough to even get a call back. That would suck, if they offered say 12/$585m and were just deemed “out” after hearing from MFY, NYM, LAD…

 

[Rasputin]

I have a hard time it's not the Yankees.

 

[SuperDieHard]

Sox get him, institute a $20/ticket surcharge, and don’t get a single complaint

 

[benhogan]

It looks like SoSH got it right with the Mets.

I'll consider Soto leaving the NYY + the Mets paying top $$$ as small consolation prizes

 

[Sille Skrub]

A staggering 30% thought he would actually sign here.