The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the doorstep of winning the World Series, celebrating as MLB champions while extending the New York Yankees’ championship drought to 16 years. Now, there are MLB rumors that the Dodgers could poach Juan Soto from the Yankees.
Soto, age 26, is among the top MLB free agents in 2025 and is expected to land a contract that will make him one of the highest-paid MLB players ever. Represented by superagent Scott Boras, the Soto contract is expected to cost $600-plus million total over 12-plus seasons.
- Juan Soto stats (ESPN): .288/.419/.569, .989 OPS, 41 home runs, 109 RBI, 31 doubles
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Prior to the World Series, the expectation seemed to be that Soto would either be signing with the Yankees or the New York Mets. While there would be competition from the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, most believed it was truly a two-team race in New York.
However, MLB rumors surfaced over the weekend that the Dodgers would seriously pursue Soto and are a legitimate threat to sign them. While that remains a possibility, it appears some inside baseball believe Los Angeles will be working from a disadvantage.
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According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, people inside the Yankees organization believe the Mets and Blue Jays are the biggest threats for Soto. That comes from a belief that Soto feels about Southern California the way Shohei Ohtani did about New York.
Ahead of last offseason, MLB rumors made it very clear that Soto preferred to play on the West Coast and didn’t necessarily want to play in New York. Just as he prefers the West Coast, some inside the league believe Ohtani prefers staying on the East Coast and he’s liked his time in New York.
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Even if the Dodgers lose out on Soto in MLB free agency, they could quickly pivot to another high-end option. Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames has long been on the Dodgers’ radar and with the star shortstop poised to hit the open market, there’s a very real chance he is playing for Los Angeles in 2025.
Signing Adames would be much cheaper and while Los Angeles wouldn’t be landing an MVP-caliber talent, the contract savings could allow the Dodgers front office to address the pitching staff. While a big bat is a priority, finding more quality depth for the rotation is also a critical objective for Los Angeles this winter.
