Could the Toronto Blue Jays be preparing a massive offer for New York Yankees All-Star Juan Soto, a year after narrowly missing out on Shohei Ohtani?
Last December, the Blue Jays and their fans believed they had a real shot at landing Ohtani after MLB Network’s Jon Morosi sparked a frenzy by tweeting that the two-way sensation was flying to Toronto. Social media went wild, with fans even tracking planes from Southern California to Toronto, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ohtani’s arrival.
But it all turned out to be a false alarm. Ohtani was actually at home in California, and the plane being tracked belonged to “Shark Tank” investor Robert Herjavec. Shortly after, Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking the largest deal in sports history.
**Blue Jays’ Big Offer for Juan Soto**
Still feeling the sting of losing Ohtani, the Blue Jays are reportedly prepared to go all-in for another generational talent—Juan Soto.
According to NJ.com, Toronto is expected to present Soto with an “astronomical offer,” potentially in the range of 15 years and $600 million, when the offseason begins. A former teammate of Soto’s, who shares the same agent, Scott Boras, hinted that the Blue Jays are serious about pursuing the star outfielder.
When asked about the rumor after the Yankees’ ALDS Game 3 victory over the Kansas City Royals, Soto remained noncommittal: “I don’t know anything about that,” he told NJ.com. “They can’t talk to me now. Let’s see what happens in the offseason.”
Tim Britton of The Athletic predicts that Soto’s next contract will likely be around 14 years and $560 million.
Soto had an outstanding regular season, posting a 7.8 WAR, .989 OPS, 178 OPS+, along with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 128 runs scored. If not for his Yankees teammate Aaron Judge, Soto might have been a favorite for the AL MVP award.
In the Yankees’ ALDS victory over the Royals, Soto batted .286 with a .746 OPS. The Yankees are now set to face the winner of the Tigers vs. Guardians series in the ALCS, which kicks off Monday in New York.
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