The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly made a significant offer to Juan Soto, showing their intent to pursue the star outfielder in free agency and a continued drive toward building the next MLB dynasty. While they may not be considered favorites to land Soto, their aggressive pursuit has undoubtedly pushed his market to the breaking point.
Soto is expected to command a contract worth well over $600 million, and the Dodgers’ competitive offer underscores the high stakes involved in this high-profile free agency. As other teams continue to vie for Soto’s services, the Dodgers’ bid will push the overall market value even higher.
Dodgers Influence Is Inflating Soto’s Value Among Top Bidders
Multiple teams have offered Soto contracts over $700 million. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams that have made significant offers to the star outfielder.
While the Dodgers have met with Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, their level of interest appears to be contingent on the overall market for the four-time All-Star. As other teams continue to aggressively pursue Soto, the Dodgers may opt to focus on other free-agent targets, specifically Teoscar Hernandez, but some speculate that their interest in Soto may have been an effort to distract from their pursuit of lefty pitcher Blake Snell.
Given the intense competition for Soto’s services, it’s clear that the Dodgers may need to increase their offer to remain competitive. Although the Dodgers have to show a willingness to match or exceed the offers from other teams, it is likely their interest is all Soto needs to secure several 10s of millions more dollars from whichever team he signs with
Adding Soto to a lineup that already features stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman would undoubtedly create one of the most potent offenses in baseball history. However, such a move would further fuel the debate about the rising costs of player salaries and the impact on smaller-market teams.
As such the Dodgers are pushing up the price to where they can single-handedly eliminate several clubs and push rich franchises to their breaking point.
