Juan Soto rumors: Mets on high alert, Blue Jays survive, Steve Cohen's spending

As predicted, Juan Soto has been front and center ever since the World Series concluded. He is not only the best player in free agency this offseason, but he might be paid as if he's the best free agent in MLB history.

Given the high price tag, it was clear from the start that only a select group of teams would have a shot at signing him. Now, with a decision drawing near, the field appears to be as clear as it's been all offseason.

It's unclear as of now as to where Soto will sign, but the latest Soto rumors give good insight as to where things stand. Once Soto signs, there's a good chance other stars will follow suit. With that in mind, here are the latest Juan Soto rumors for your consumption on this fine Wednesday evening.

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Juan Soto rumors: Steve Cohen sure sounds determined to win the Juan Soto sweepstakes

Ever since the offseason began, the New York Mets were pegged as legitimate threats to steal Juan Soto away from the New York Yankees in large part because of Steve Cohen's wallet.

No, the Mets don't have the same history of winning as their crosstown rivals. No, the Mets don't have Aaron Judge on their roster. The team also doesn't have a short porch for Soto to aim at 81+ times annually. They do, however, have the richest owner in baseball running the ship.

Soto might not want to go to Queens over re-signing with the Yankees, but at the end of the day, money talks. Steve Cohen has a lot of it, and according to Jon Heyman of USA Today, he's willing to spend it.

Heyman made it clear on a Bleacher Report live stream that Cohen will do whatever it takes to sign Soto. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but if Soto is willing to go to the Mets at a specific dollar figure, Cohen sure seems determined to hit it.

Soto could be using the Mets as leverage here, but if he actually is willing to join the Mets, this update could not be better news for the fan base.

Juan Soto rumors: Blue Jays survive first round of Soto eliminations

With a decision nearing, Soto's agent, Scott Boras, mentioned that the outfielder had begun eliminating teams from consideration. Boras, unfortunately, did not specify which teams had been eliminated or how many clubs Soto was still considering.

With details hard to come by, most MLB fans had run with the assumption that the Toronto Blue Jays were one of the teams eliminated. Sure, they have money to spend, but why else would Soto want to go there? Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is only under club control through 2025, and the team went 74-88 this past season.

Well, according to the latest report from MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, it sure sounds like Toronto survived the first round of eliminations, as he dubbed another team — the Los Angeles Dodgers — as "unlikely" to sign Soto.

"The Dodgers also met with Soto, but sources indicate that Los Angeles is unlikely to sign the four-time All-Star."

Feinsand didn't officially rule the Dodgers out, but he also made it sound very unlikely that Los Angeles was where he'd end up. The Dodgers were never seen as particularly likely, but given their recent success luring free agents, it was hard to rule them out until someone reputable said they were out.

Will the Blue Jays end up signing him? Perhaps not, but if they did survive the first round of eliminations, Soto is, at the very least, considering taking his talents north of the border. That would obviously help remove the stink from what was a disastrous 2024 season.

Juan Soto rumors: Latest report should have Mets more nervous than ever

Those Mets fans who were happy with the report that Steve Cohen appears willing to do whatever it takes to get Soto to sign the dotted line will probably be nervous with additional reporting that Heyman brought to his stream.

Heyman feels better about the New York Yankees' chances of re-signing Soto than he has throughout the entire process. That certainly appears odd if the Mets are willing to go all out, doesn't it?

Well, this could mean a couple of things. First, Soto could be using the Mets as leverage. Steve Cohen can bid as much as he wants, but if Soto doesn't want to play there, he isn't going to play there. He could be using Cohen's wallet as a way to get more money from the Yankees.

This newfound Yankees optimism could also be a negotiating tactic to get a team like the Mets to up its bid. If Cohen is willing to spend whatever it takes, Soto might be wondering how far he'd actually go to get a deal done. By saying that the Yankees are optimistic, that could trick Cohen into throwing some more money on top of what is surely a very high bid.

At the end of the day, these rumors are just that. The teams, agent, and player will do whatever it takes to try and get the best deal possible. These rumors suggest everything that had been reported when the offseason got underway. Soto is likely to remain in New York, but Toronto always looms.