3 Decisions the Blue Jays Can Make to Avoid Shohei Ohtani’s Juan Soto Mistake

The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to spend a lot of money on Juan Soto this winter in hopes of luring the four-time All-Star north of the border. This is an exciting opportunity and will truly instill a sense of equality in the ultra-competitive American League.

There’s just one problem. No one really believes the Blue Jays can pull this off.

Toronto famously had Shohei Ohtani on its roster last offseason. At one point, the Blue Jays were even considered the favorites to land Ohtani, with fans diligently tracking flights out of Los Angeles as speculation grew. Ultimately, however, the Blue Jays lost that race to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Ohtani to a historic 10-year, $700 million contract.

The Blue Jays were nothing more than leverage over the Dodgers’ price. Ohtani never intended to go to Toronto, whether he admits it or not. The Blue Jays then tried to take on trade candidate Juan Soto, but lost that race as well. He ended up with the New York Yankees, a doubly cruel twist of fate.

This season, New York ended up in the World Series, while Toronto fell to the bottom of the AL East standings. However, Soto is now a free agent and has opened the doors to all 30 teams. Toronto is expected to make a serious attempt to sign the Dominican superstar, who could receive a contract worth the same $700 million as Ohtani.

Here’s how the Blue Jays can actually get the job done.

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According to the latest data, Juan Soto’s next contract will receive at least $700 million. At least that’s what the 26-year-old will be asking for, and there’s no reason to think he won’t get it. With four of MLB’s most financially ambitious teams—the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Phillies—all tied to Soto, that tab is set to grow. promptly. The Blue Jays can’t blink when it comes time to put the offer sheet on the table.

Toronto was willing to shell out $700 million for Ohtani. Does Soto have a similar motivation? What if it takes more than that? One wonders if we’d be having a different conversation now if Toronto had offered Ohtani $750 million. The highest bid often wins, and Soto is a client of Scott Boras. If the Blue Jays really want to impress the four-time Silver Slugger, it could be as simple as submitting a better offer. Nothing says commitment like pushing through trades where even Steve Cohen is comfortable.

Now it’s hard to believe that Toronto will actually outbid the Mets or Yankees. It just doesn’t happen very often. However, Soto is a special talent, and it’s clear the Blue Jays are desperate to put a winning product on the field. This winter, Ross Atkins retained his position as general manager against the wishes of the fans. His spot will start to burn if the Blue Jays can’t improve their position significantly. The addition of Soto will immediately put Toronto in the postseason conversation.

There is a non-zero chance that Soto will sign the largest guaranteed contract in MLB history this winter. without major delays that defined Ohtani’s contract in Los Angeles. If Toronto is willing to spend a little over $700 million to make Soto the face of the franchise, chances are they’ll listen.

Even if the Blue Jays give Juan Soto carte blanche, the roster will need more work. Soto’s bat can cover up a lot of flaws, but Toronto finished last season 14 games below .500, not a deficit that one player can erase. This will require a more robust approach to attracting free agents.

If the Blue Jays want to go out of their way to win over Soto, the best way to improve the roster in a way that will further that goal is to target Soto’s former teammates. The Yankees have a ton of free agents other than Soto this winter. I’m not saying the Blue Jays will pay Gerrit Cole. And Juan Soto, but names like Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo and Clay Holmes could appeal to Toronto.

The Blue Jays need pitching depth. Clay Holmes was a popular weapon in the New York bullpen. Anthony Rizzo, for example, is a free agent. He was a valuable leader in the Yankees locker room, and he certainly developed a meaningful relationship with Soto. The Blue Jays have discussed moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to third base. Why not add Rizzo first, move Guerrero to a more valuable position, and use Rizzo as a recruiting chip in Soto’s sweepstakes? Guys, this is called strategy.

Toronto can turn the knife deeper into the Yankees with each subsequent move. Imagine the Blue Jays taking several key players off New York’s World Series team, potentially leading to a deep postseason loss for Toronto. This is the type of offseason Blue Jays fans dream of.

Juan Soto wants a ton of money, but he also wants a chance to win at the highest level. The Yankees were in the World Series. The Dodgers won the World Series. The Mets were in the NLCS and have never shied away from aggressive spending. The Phillies are an October staple. All of these teams can convince Soto that he should win big and win. often.

The Blue Jays were back 14 games below .500 this season as rumors of locker room unrest and explosive trades swirled. How can Toronto convince Soto that he will have a competitive roster not only in 2025, but for the duration of his ten-year contract? It all starts with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s contract extension.

There is no doubt that Toronto can put a star power in Soto’s orbit. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having one of his best hitting seasons in recent memory, hitting .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs. He would be an MVP candidate if the Blue Jays were a better team. Guerrero has expressed a desire to stay in Toronto long-term, but is approaching the final year of his contract without an extension.

Signing Guerrero to a long-term deal would guarantee Soto at least one All-Star candidate for the foreseeable future. At 25, Guerrero’s prime should coincide well with Soto’s. It’s actually one hell of a combination. Guerrero won’t agree to anything below market value, which could mean Toronto would have to give up the Dodgers and offer financial guarantees between Soto and Guerrero worth more than $1 billion. If the Blue Jays’ front office is willing to devote this level of resources to field a winner, Soto should be happy with where he’s going.

It’s hard to imagine Soto giving up so many franchises to sign with Toronto, but if the Blue Jays are really serious, there are ways to win this bidding war.