Juan Soto rumors: Dodgers 'aggressive', Steve Cohen a 'wild card', Blue Jays lurking

The 2024 season is well in the rearview. The GM Meetings have come and gone, leaving hours and hours of preliminary negotiations in their wake. Now the offseason vigil truly begins: Fans refreshing their social media feeds, waiting for word from on high that their team's No. 1 target decides to sign on the dotted line.

And no target is worth more this winter than superstar outfielder Juan Soto. Scott Boras has already likened his top client to the Mona Lisa, and as his rumored price tag climbs higher and higher, the comparison only gets more apt. So, where will Soto eventually land? We know that both Steve Cohen of the New York Mets and Hal Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees are set to fly to Boras HQ in Southern California to make their respective pitches. Here's everything else we're hearing as the landscape of the league hangs in the balance.

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Juan Soto rumors: Dodgers expected to be 'aggressive' in pursuit

Recent reporting suggested that the Los Angeles Dodgers didn't figure to be serious players in the Soto sweepstakes, largely due to fears that Soto wouldn't want to come back to the West Coast. But apparently Andrew Friedman and Co. have gotten some different intel. Either that or they're very, very stubborn, because now it seems that L.A. is set to be "very aggressive" in chasing Soto.

It's still unclear just exactly what that means in terms of dollars, but you have to figure that if Soto and Boras leave the door open, money won't be the thing that keeps a deal from getting done. Los Angeles does have a need at both corner outfield spots, for what it's worth.

Juan Soto rumors: Steve Cohen could be 'wild card' for Mets

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, it's Cohen who's the driving force behind the Mets' pursuit of Soto.

"The Mets’ winter strategy is the biggest mystery among executives. They don’t believe that David Stearns, president of baseball operations, is interested in keeping Alonso for $200 million or paying Soto close to $700 million. They believe he’s much more interested in spreading the money around to address numerous areas by signing Walker – or perhaps movingMark Vientosto first base and finding a third baseman like Alex Bregman."

Stearns comes from a Harvard analytical background, and cut his teeth in smaller-market front offices like the Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. Efficiency is the name of his game, and no model will ever tell you that shelling out $600-700 million to a single player (especially a player whose defense ranges from "fine" to "yikes") is the efficient way to go. It's anathema to everything Stearns has stood for as an executive to date.

Of course, it's exactly what Cohen stands for. He wants stars, and he wants to unseat the Yankees from their perch atop New York sports. It'll be fascinating to watch this play out, as Cohen would hate to lose out on one of the best players in the game to a crosstown rival even as his lead executive would rather spend that money addressing multiple needs at once.

Juan Soto rumors: Blue Jays lurking as potential spoiler

Nightengale name-checks four teams as the favorites for Soto: the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Blue Jays. The New York teams are well-worn territory at this point. The Giants, well, the next time they reel in a big fish will be the first. But Toronto could be interesting, as Nightengale dubs them a popular dark horse among executives he spoke to at the GM Meetings. The Jays are in desperate need of a big swing with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. approaching free agency, they have a need in the outfield and we know from last year's pursuit of Shohei Ohtani that they have money to spend.