The 2024-25 Major League Baseball offseason has begun, and that means an almost daily supply of rumors regarding free agency, trades, and the like. With the General Managers Meetings ongoing, this week is no exception, even as we're just dipping our toes into the hot stove season. Speaking of all that, Thursday's supply of scuttle can be found just below.
Rays among Soto suitors
Juan Soto is of course the prize of the winter. This season for the Yankees, he slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. For his career, he owns an OPS+ of 160 and a WAR of 36.4. To boot, he's exceedingly durable and still just 26 years of age. All of those considerations plus his substantial star power mean Soto may wind up inking a deal worth $600 million or more.
As for who's willing to pay that substantial freight, the incumbent Yankees will of course be in the mix, and the crosstown Mets have long had eyes for Soto and are expected to be vigorous bidders. As for a big surprise within that early fray, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes this:
"Seven teams that have called on Juan Soto are known, and while one is a major surprise — the homeless-at-the-moment Tampa Bay Rays — the other six are all major-market teams that have big payrolls and presumably a much better shot than the surprising Rays."
The Rays have long succeeded despite little to no effort from owner Stuart Sternberg, which is a credit to their front office. As such, it's hard to take seriously the notion that they'd leap into the Soto waters given what he's going to cost. As for the remainder of those seven teams, Heyman's piece ticks them off, and this early in the process that's of course not a complete list of the teams who will check in on Soto.
Kim a hot target
Infielder Ha-Seong Kim may be one of the more appealing under-the-radar candidates of this free-agent class. Over his four seasons with the Padres, Kim, now 29, has a 15.3 WAR, a 103 OPS+, and significant time spent at shortstop, second base, and third base. He's also an asset on the bases. That broad base of skills makes him appealing to a number of teams, and as MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports the Giants may be Kim's most aggressive suitor. Given Kim's value, though, they'll surely have plenty of company.
Yankees have discussed Alonso
The Yankees' No. 1 priority this offseason will be re-signing Juan Soto, but if those efforts come to grief then maybe a pursuit of Pete Alonso might be part of the "consolation package?" As Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic write, Yankees GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that he and super-agent Scott Boras discussed a number of his clients, including Alonso. "There's a lot of high-quality players in this marketplace," Cashman said. "Pete did an amazing job with the Mets. Had a brief conversation with Scott — he has a lot of free agents."
Alonso, 29, has been a rich power source for years. Over his six seasons with the Mets, Alonso amassed 226 home runs – a tally that includes his 53-homer campaign as a rookie. While Alonso still hits the ball hard and makes quality contact, he's seen his production decline from its peak over the last two seasons, and his strikeout rate has crept up. Throw in his sub-par fielding, and it's fair to wonder how well he'll age. That risk will be baked into his market this offseason.
That said, the Yankees, who declined their club option on Anthony Rizzo, may be a fit for Alonso.