Juan Soto Signs With Mets Over Dodgers, Yankees, Others in Monumental Free Agent Deal
The biggest storyline of the 2024 Major League Baseball season has officially reached its conclusion.
Superstar outfielder Juan Soto has reached an agreement with the New York Mets on a 15-year, $765 million deal.
Soto was one of the greatest free agents ever considering his age and skillset, and will now join the Mets on the richest contract in MLB history.
Soto is a four-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger award winner. He’s coming off a 2024 season in which he hit .288 with a career-high 41 home runs, 109 runs batted in, and an OPS of .989. Soto finished third in American League MVP voting, only trailing his Yankees teammate, Aaron Judge, and Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr.
The Dodgers, however, made a competitive offer to Soto. Reports circulated that the Dodgers made an offer over $600 million to try to lure the 26-year-old superstar to L.A. However, the other teams were reported to be in the $700 million range, which is likely a big reason the Dodgers weren’t able to land him.
With the Dodgers officially out on Soto, their focus will likely shift to bringing back outfielder Teoscar Hernández. The Dodgers have a clear need for a corner outfielder, and Hernández fit in perfectly in his first year with the Dodgers.
In his debut season in L.A., Hernández slashed .272/.339/.501 with a career-high 33 home runs and 99 runs batted in. He was an incredible presence in L.A. both on and off the field, and expressed his desire to return to the Dodgers numerous times.
“The Dodgers will be my priority in free agency,” Hernández said after the World Series. “I will do whatever is possible to return. It’s not in my hands, but if it were, I’d pick them.”
A week later, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes expressed an interest in bringing back Hernández, too.
“Teo was a huge part of what we accomplished this year on the field,” Gomes said. “You could see very clearly a huge impact in the clubhouse with younger guys, and his energy. So, we’ll have conversations with Teo and his group ASAP.”
With Soto now off the board, the Dodgers can shift their focus to Hernández. As for the rest of free agency, expect things to heat up fast with the top target off the board.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
