MLB Insider: Corbin Burnes and more markets set to take off once Juan Soto signs

The Juan Soto sweepstakes are nearing an end. 

The five teams involved — the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays — all have reportedly made competitive bids. The prevailing thought has long been that Soto is most likely to end up with one of the New York teams, but at this point there is no definitive favorite for the 26-year-old superstar free-agent outfielder.

Once Soto signs, all hell is expected to break loose in free agency, and it’s expected to lead to one of the most active Winter Meetings in recent memory. But what markets will likely heat up following Soto’s free agency? Let’s dive in.

The remaining outfield market

The free-agent outfielder market features names such as Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar and Tyler O’Neill. And once Soto comes off the board, others will surely follow suit.

Hernandez is a natural fit to return to the Dodgers. He wants to be in Los Angeles and the team would like him back, but they are not close to an agreement at this time. Santander would prove to be a strong fit with the Blue Jays, who appear desperate to make a splash or two this offseason. Profar has a robust market and should land a strong multi-year deal. O’Neill, meanwhile, has almost as much raw power as anyone in baseball and coming off a season in which he hit 31 homers with a 132 OPS+, he should do very well in free agency.

Willy Adames

Once Soto signs, Adames’ market should come into focus. It’s unclear just how quickly Adames could sign, but he presents everything that winning organizations should covet: strong offense and defense with the ability to hit 30+ homers while also being perhaps the most respected player inside a clubhouse that I’ve come across in 10 seasons in baseball.

It’s unclear what Adames will ultimately sign for, but a six- to seven-year contract worth around $26 million per season could make sense.

Starting pitchers

Some of the teams that are in on Soto are also in the market for elite starting pitchers such as Burnes and Max Fried, but won’t be able to act on either starter until Soto is off the board.

Once Soto signs, expect the markets for both Fried and Burnes to accelerate. Burnes is drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, among others. Fried’s market, meanwhile, is a bit more of a mystery, with the Yankees also involved to some degree.