Ken Rosenthal hammers Blue Jays with cold truth of Juan Soto pursuit

Ken Rosenthal didn’t hold back as he broke down the Toronto Blue Jays’ pursuit of Juan Soto. And he makes a very compelling point. 

"If you wanted Soto, you should have locked up Vlad Jr. by now," Rosenthal said. "Maybe the plan is to get Soto and then lock up Vlad Jr. but it becomes that much more difficult after Soto's number is on the board...Soto is going to raise the bar for everyone and Vlad is a free agent after next season."

Who knows what Soto is motivated by this offseason. He already has a World Series championship and he knows regardless of where he goes, he’s collecting a historic check. That’s what makes his free agency so intriguing. 

But even if he’s motivated by money and Toronto somehow offers him the most, is the few dollars more worth going to a team he’ll probably never win again with? Because the reality is, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays’ best players, aren’t locked in for the long term. 

The Blue Jays could be using Soto to convince Vladdy and Bichette to return could be their play. But what if it flops? And Soto has no assurances either are going to come back even if Soto moves north. 

So the Blue Jays’ pursuit feels more desperate than logical. If Toronto wanted Soto that bad, they should have anchored down Vladdy and Bichette first. That would have not only made Soto more convinced, but would have made the acquisition more realistic. 

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Toronto’s desperate pursuit for Juan Soto could end up being the downfall for the Blue Jays

As Rosenthal said, the Blue Jays needed more assurances if they were serious about getting Soto. And if they aren’t serious about getting Soto, the question becomes what do they do to address their team needs to become competitive again. 

According to Rosenthal, the Blue Jays don’t have a strong farm system. So the only way to build their roster is by either acquiring top prospects or getting some bridge veterans as they look to the draft to find some key pieces. 

Getting Soto seems more like a dream than it does a reality for the Blue Jays. It’s probably more realistic if Guerrero or Bichette were already signed to long term contracts. But with their future uncertain as well, it feels like money still wouldn’t be enough to encourage Soto. 

And if the Blue Jays aren’t able to retain Bichette or Vladdy, not getting Soto would be the least of their worries.