4 teams Juan Soto could prefer over Yankees in free agency

Juan Soto will become a free agent for the first time in his young career after the end of the season. He's been a perfect fit with the New York Yankees this season, as they have a sizable lead on the AL East and clinched a playoff berth this past week. With Aaron Judge, the Bronx Bombers have one of the most powerful lineups in all of MLB. The 25-year-old is having the best season of his career, as he's hit a career-high 40 HRs. On top of that, he holds a .993 OPS with 103 RBIs.

When the four-time All-Star hits free agency, many teams will be pursuing. Yankees GM Brian Cashman will do everything he can to retain Soto, as he should. Judge isn't getting any younger, and the lefty slugger has been a great compliment hitting in front of him all season. The former World Series champion is looking for a long-term and lucrative offer. Back in 2022, he declined a $440 million contract offer from the Washington Nationals, which would've made him the highest-paid player in league history at the time.

It's unclear how much Soto will get this offseason. Shohei Ohtani signed the largest contract in MLB history with the Los Angeles Dodgers, totaling up to $700 million across 10 years. In my opinion, I could see the four-time Silver Slugger garnering up to $600 million across ten years or $720 million across 12 years.

Only a select few teams around the league could afford to realistically have a shot at offering such a contract. With his stacked resume at 25 years old, he's undoubtedly one of the most intriguing free agents in MLB history. The Yankees are not guaranteed to re-sign Soto. If the Bronx Bombers miss out, here are five teams that could be in play for Soto this offseason:

4. Philadelphia Phillies

One of the best teams in baseball over the past few seasons has been the Philadelphia Phillies. They've been to the NLCS for two consecutive seasons and even managed to get to the World Series in 2022. They ended up losing to the Houston Astros in six games. This season, the Phillies have been the best team in baseball. No matter what happens in the playoffs, Philadelphia GM Sam Fuld could be making a bid for the lefty slugger.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the 2022 National League Champions are expected to try to link Soto up with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner again. The three used to be teammates with the Washington Nationals, and they were a dominant young trio then. If they joined forces in the prime of their career, the Phillies would be set up for multiple pennant races over the next few years.

It would make total sense to see the Phillies go after Soto. They haven't been afraid to spend big in free agency over the past few years. Harper and Turner have signed $300 million-plus contracts in recent years and rightfully so. If Philadelphia misses out on a World Series victory again this season, I'd expect them to be all in on the four-time All-Star.

3. New York Mets

The richest owner in baseball will undoubtedly be all in on Soto. Earlier in the season, Jeff Passan of ESPN suggested the New York Mets could get into a bidding war this offseason for the superstar outfielder. Even the Mets' current star shortstop Francisco Lindor expressed his interest in teaming up with the Yankees slugger next season.

Soto wouldn't have to go too far if he signed with the Mets. The owner Steve Cohen has proved he isn't afraid to spend money on stars. When he purchased the team a few seasons ago, he immediately traded for Lindor and signed him to a massive contract. After the 2022 season, he gave Edwin Diaz the largest contact a relief pitcher ever received. Cohen also re-signed Brandon Nimmo to an eight-year deal.

This offseason will be one of the more interesting ones in recent years. Last offseason, many were surprised to see the rich owner show zero interest in Ohtani. Rumors suggest it could've been to wait for Soto to hit free agency. The Mets also have their slugger hitting free agency this offseason for the first time. David Stearns has a big decision to make on Pete Alonso. It would take a lot to bring in both Alonso and Soto, but Cohen is a risk-taker.

2. Washington Nationals

Soto won a World Series back in 2019 with the Nationals, and he played a pivotal role. In the playoffs during the championship run, the former Washington star posted a .927 OPS and hit five home runs with 14 RBIs. MLB experts Anthony DiComo, Mark Feinsand, Alyson Footer and Sarah Langs all listed his former team as darkhorse candidates to sign him this offseason.

Washington GM Mike Rizzo already offered Soto a large contract before, and he could certainly do the same again this offseason. In 2022, the Nationals traded away the lefty slugger for James Wood, C.J. Abrams and MacKenzie Gore. All three are having great seasons, but they could use help to get the organization back to their winning ways.

If the Nationals can bring back Soto this offseason it would shock many MLB fans. The four-time All-Star already has a ring, so Washington's recent struggles might not deter him. If Rizzo can muster up the best offer, he just might be able to provide his fans with nostalgia.

1. San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have been trying to bring in stars for the past few seasons, but they haven't been successful. They almost got Aaron Judge after the 2022 season, but he ended up re-signing with the Yankees. This offseason, the organization could be looking to try and steal another star from New York. According to MLB insiders of ESPN, the Giants are expected to make a play for Soto.

This offseason will be an important one for San Francisco. After giving Matt Chapman a six-year deal worth $151 million, they are in a weird spot. Blake Snell is likely going to exercise his player option, so they will need to do some major re-tooling. If they can bring back Snell, it would make sense to go for more considering how loaded the Los Angeles Dodgers are. Soto would be the perfect player to challenge the dominant Dodgers over the next coming years.