Dodgers’ Interest in Juan Soto is ‘Real’ According to MLB Insider

The speculation surrounding Juan Soto’s free agency began before the World Series even concluded. The Los Angeles Dodgers had always been linked to the Dominican star, but there were rumors that the organization was just being used to drive up the bargaining price for Soto.

An MLB insider put those rumors to rest in a recent report. Jon Heyman of the New York Post believes the Dodgers are genuinely interested in adding Soto to the lineup, but he may not be the right fit for the Los Angeles organization that functions by structuring contracts in unique ways.

“The Dodgers’ interest is real, but they don’t relish bidding wars and several of their stars have accepted relative bargains,” Heyman wrote. “While there is public skepticism about Soto’s interest in returning to the West Coast, people close to him say he loved living in San Diego and has no great geographic preference.”

It’s extremely unlikely that Soto would accept a deferred salary as dramatic as Shohei Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers. While the Dodgers may have hopes to add Soto to the lineup, there are several other teams that will let the right-fielder name his price.

The New York Mets and New York Yankees have been listed as favorites to sign Soto. Both east coast clubs will likely outbid anyone for the 26-year-old star, a bidding war that has surpassed $600 million, per the latest report from The Athletic.

The Mets and Yankees were rumored to have the upper hand because of Soto’s geographic preference, but according to Heyman, the right-fielder doesn’t have one. While the Dodgers may not have a geographic obstacle in the way of landing Soto, they’ll likely have a financial one as the New York teams, the Boston Red Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays drive up the price.

Whether Soto comes to Los Angeles greatly rests on whether he is willing to accept the Dodgers’ offer, one that may not be as competitive as those from the east coast clubs.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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