MLB News: Juan Soto’s Free Agency Leads Off With Two Surprising AL East Teams Despite His Strong New York Links

While the New York Yankees and New York Mets are widely regarded as the favorites to land Juan Soto, it's the Toronto Blue Jays who get the first crack at making their pitch. Yes, you read that right: before the two big-market powerhouses in New York even get their shot, Toronto will be stepping up to the plate. and not just Toronto, but the Boston Red Sox is also in the mix.

At just 26 years old, Juan Soto is positioned to sign one of the biggest contracts in MLB history. Teams across the league are starting to line up for a shot at acquiring him. Soto's impending decision is shaping up to be one of the most consequential moments in recent baseball history.

Juan Soto gets two meetings from the AL East The Blue Jays are in the market for a star to push them into serious World Series contention, according to ESPN . First on their agenda? A meeting with Soto this week. They've got the talent, the ambition, and the payroll flexibility to make it happen. If they land Soto, the AL East just got a whole lot tougher. The Sox aren't sitting idly by. After a few years of rebuilding, the Red Sox are ready to go all in. A clear signal of the desire to pair him with their own star talent. If they pull this off, they'd immediately become one of the AL's most dangerous teams.

Both the Mets and Yankees have also lined up meetings with Soto. The Mets, under Steve Cohen's deep-pocketed ownership, have become the 'landing spot' of player acquisition. Shortstop Francisco Lindor, a key player in the Mets' roster, has already started recruiting Soto to the Queens. Over in the Bronx, Aaron Boone and the Yankees are eyeing Soto after his impressive performance there this season. So, what's it going to take to land the game's most coveted free agent?

How is the deal going to look? The speculation is that Soto could land a deal worth well over $600 million, possibly approaching or surpassing the $611 million mark set by Fernando Tatis Jr. It's a stunning sum, but given Soto's youth, elite production, and the soaring inflation of MLB contracts, it's within reach. Some insiders believe this could be the longest contract in MLB history, surpassing Tatis' 14-year deal, as teams might be willing to go the distance to secure his bat for the long haul.

If you want to understand the magnitude of what's coming, look no further than last year's offseasons. Scott Boras, Soto's agent, had a front-row seat to some big deals that have set the bar. First, there was Aaron Judge, who had a nine-year, $360 million contract from the New York Yankees after turning down over $400 million from the Padres. Then, of course, came the deal that shifted the landscape entirely. Shohei Ohtani 's 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The two-way phenom agreed to defer a staggering $680 million of that sum, which means, for MLB's competitive balance tax, the contract effectively carries a present-day value of about $46 million per year. Why? Because that's the benchmark Boras is looking to clear for Soto. It's not just about eclipsing Ohtani's total dollar amount. No, the real goal is to break the $46 million-per-year threshold, setting a new precedent for baseball's richest contracts. With his power, patience, and elite on-base skills, the 25-year-old is positioning himself to cash in at an elite level.