MLB Rumors: Garrett Crochet surprise contender, Teoscar Hernandez drama, Soto fallout

Juan Soto officially joined the New York Mets on Sunday night, inking a historic $765 million contract that exceeds the combined career earnings of LeBron James and Tom Brady. That is a rousing success for the Mets and a difficult blow for the rest of the MLB — especially their NL East foes. The prospect of facing Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto for the next decade surely doesn't excite the Braves or Phillies.

Now that Soto has signed, the floodgates are open. He set the market along with Blake Snell and Willy Adames, who both landed $182 million contracts on the west coast. Now it's time for the rest of this loaded free agent class to cash in. Alex Bregman, Corbin Burnes, and Pete Alonso highlight a robust crop of talent. There's is plenty of change still to come.

Here is the latest round of MLB rumors to get your week started off right.

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MLB Rumors: Juan Soto joined the Mets, but what's next?

The Mets are laughing all the way to the bank with $765 million. That is an absurd amount of money, but 15 years of Juan Soto is more than worth it. Lest we forget, Steve Cohen (and other MLB owners) are billionaires with a B. The best owners throw caution to the wind and sacrifice profit margins in pursuit of winning, because what's the point of hoarding all that money if not to field a competitive team?

Lindor and Soto is an incredible one-two punch to build your team around. The question now becomes, what it next? Even the Mets have a spending limit. One has to imagine that Soto's contract, worth $51 million annually, restricts the marketplace somewhat.

It will be fascinating to see what happens with hometown hero Pete Alonso. In an ideal world, Alonso re-signs and New York loads up on power. In reality, however, Alonso could seek a contract that approaches $200 million in total value. Sure, the Dodgers just spent $1.4 billion in free agency last winter, but this is a little different. For all the goodwill he has built up in New York, Alonso is a first baseman with limited defensive equity and hot-or-cold tendencies. A long-term contract might not age well.

We could see New York target a cheaper alternative, such as Christian Walker. Or we could see New York scramble for an internal solution. Either way, one has to imagine that Alonso's tenure in Queens is coming to an end if there's a remotely competitive market for his services.

The Mets still have a lot of work to do on the pitching front, too. Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes are solid options, but the departures of Luis Severino and Sean Manaea leave a noticeable hole in the rotation. Ideally, New York doubles down and drops a bag on Max Fried or Corbin Burnes. More realistically, however, fans should expect the Mets to hammer the bargain bin and look for budget-friendly options. The absolute dream outcome is Roki Sasaki, who can provide ace value on a prospect's contract.

Time will tell how the Mets proceed from here. Cohen has the wherewithal to build this roster out even further, but will he?

MLB Rumors: There is 'gap' in negotiations between Teoscar Hernandez and Dodgers

The Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and other Juan Soto wannabes could turn their attention to Teoscar Hernandez, who profiles as the obvious next in line for teams in need of an outfield bat. Hernandez was dominant in his first (and potentially only) campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, slashing .272/.339/.501 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI.

One would expect the high-rolling Dodgers to just extend Hernandez. That appears to be the goal, and Hernandez obviously has interest in returning to defend his World Series crown. But, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Los Angeles has been "unable to bridge the gap" in negotiations.

Hernandez joined the Dodgers last season on a one-year, $24 million contract as the market collapsed. The market is far more robust this time around, so the 32-year-old is expected to pursure a more substantial long-term investment from his next team. If the Dodgers aren't willing to pony up, again, any number of contenders should be circling like vultures.

The Red Sox are perhaps the most obvious Hernandez landing spot. He's familiar with the AL East landscape and he'd provide some right-handed pop to a lefty-dominanted lineup. The Blue Jays could also seek a reunion, though, while the Yankees all of a sudden have a gap in right field.

MLB Rumors: Brewers emerge as dark horse Garrett Crochet suitor

The most sought-after trade candidate these days is Chicago White Sox fireballer Garrett Crochet, who is coming off an All-Star campaign at just 25 years old. Crochet put concerns about his durability to bed, finishing strong with 32 starts and 146.0 innings under his belt. The southpaw notched a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, punching out 209 batters along the way.

He is expected to command interest from a number of contenders, ranging from the Dodgers on the west coast, to the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, and Phillies on the east coast. But, there are a few sleeper teams starting to come out of the woodwork. Crochet is still on a cheap contract with a few years of team control left. That puts smaller markets in the mix, with the NL Central looking like an increasingly likely destination.

The Cincinnati Reds were recently revealed as a potential Crochet landing spot. Now, the Milwaukee Brewers join the fray, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

This comes as a mild surprise, but it makes a great deal of sense. The Brewers lost Corbin Burnes last winter and Frankie Montas a few days ago. Milwaukee is as cheap as small-market front offices come, but that team still finds a way to stick around the top of the division each season. Crochet can lead the Brewers rotation for at least a year, ideally, before his name starts popping up in trade rumors again. He is arbitration eligible next season before hitting free agency ahead of the 2027 campaign.