A new team has entered the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but it’s much ado about nothing

The Juan Soto sweepstakes are picking up, with several contenders (and wannabe contenders) checking in on the four-time All-Star. Coming off his best season to date, Soto is a candidate to shatter Shohei Ohtani's record for the most valuable contract in MLB history. Whereas Ohtani accepted record deferrals from LA, Soto is expected to take his cash up front.

The scope of this race is taking shape rather quickly. There is a two-horse race at the top, with the New York Mets and the incumbent New York Yankees bare-knuckle brawling over the offseason's most coveted target. Then, there are the sleepers — the ambitious front offices who are keen to throw a wrench into this whole affair. We've heard of potential positive traction with the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers. That is 'tier two,' so to speak.

Those aren't the only teams doing their due diligence on Soto, however. The Tampa Bay Rays famously placed a phone call, and now, another small-market club has thrown its hat into the ring, if only for a little bit.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Kansas City Royals looked into the possibility of adding Soto. Unfortunately, it's just never going to happen.

"The Royals were a second small-market team to check in on Juan Soto," Heyman writes. "But, ultimately, it’s not a financial fit. Can’t blame the Rays for checking in, either. But here’s their reality: They traded CF Jose Siri partly to save a couple million."

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Royals check in — and immediately bow out — on top free agent Juan Soto

This is a fun hypothetical. The Royals faced Soto and the Yankees first-hand in the ALDS, a matchup New York dominated. Kansas City is on the come up, though, and adding Soto to a lineup that already includes AL MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. would launch the Royals into a new age of contention. With 24-year-old Witt and 26-year-old Soto both inked to long-term deals, KC would be primed to seriously compete for the next decade.

Unfortunately, Soto's free agency is more than a baseball proposition. It's a financial proposition, and the Scott Boras client has made it abundantly clear that he's willing to go anywhere, so long as there's enough cash in his bank account. The Royals hiked up their spending last offseason and could do so against this winter, but there's a difference between adding a few solid pitchers and shelling out $600 million-plus for Juan Soto. There just is.

Kansas City is the real deal, folks, and Bobby Witt has an MVP award or two in his future. This development shouldn't dull the excitement around the fandom, as it's very much possible to build a winner without committing half of a small country's GDP to a single player. Soto would obviously boost the Royals' standing in the AL, but there are other methods of improvement. In the wise words of Brad Pitt's Billy Beane... the aggregate!

Let Kansas City develop its underdog persona while the big-city clubs wring hands over the potential of dedicating a decade of substantial funds to an outfielder who can't pitch, defend, or run the bases very well.