First of all, take all your staff out for a real good meal, you can afford it, you won’t be spending this kind of scratch on anybody else. Okay, let’s start with the Yankees. Obviously no other team came close to losing quite like the pin stripers when Juan Soto signed with the Mets.
They lost the player. They lost the back page and in this case the front page as well and they lost New York. They do however have fifty plus million dollars a season to spend while drowning their sorrows. Fact is rightfield was not their only offensive need.
Where does Jazz Chisholm play? Could be third, second or the outfield. Wherever it is they need to fill the other two plus first base. Another top end pitcher, especially a lefty like Max Fried or perhaps Corbin Burnes?
Do they go after payback in former Met Pete Alonso? Perhaps Christian Walker for first base. Will the Yanks be in on Anthony Santander or Teoscar Hernandez? Do they trade for Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado? There’s always free agent Alex Bregman.
Who’s going to Toronto?
The Blue Jays were also rans again. Ohtani last year and after a reported and rejected offer of somewhere in the $700 million range, short on Soto as well. They firstly need to fix their own house.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to elite form and has reached his walk year. Barring a signing soon, like Soto, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado before him, Guerreo will reach free agency at age 26. Why would he sign now unless the Jays overwhelm him after dragging their heels?
There’s also shortstop Bo Bichette who suffered a miserable injury filled 2024 and also a free agent and just a year older than Vlad. They also let Canadian closer Jordan Romano walk and he signed with Philadelphia.
The Jays however are still keen on spending some of that money that Soto didn’t get. Rumours have the Jays in big for at least one big time free agent:
@Ken_Rosenthal believes that the #BlueJays will put together a "monster offer" for SP Corbin Burnes pic.twitter.com/djP8QGpTJ0
— Blue Jays Corner (@TOJaysCorner) December 9, 2024
Red Sox in for two top pitchers
The problem of course is that there are only so many top free agents. The Red Sox are making a big pitch for Max Fried and are also interested in Burnes. There have also been rumours of them freeing up first baseman Tristin Casas and others in trying to lure prize lefty Garrett Crochet from the White Sox.
Guess who still has money?
The New York Mets that’s who. Despite the Soto signing they might still be in the market for two of those big free agents needing at least to replace Alonso at first. They could also move Mark Vientos to first and chase a third baseman like Arenado.
Oh and there’s twenty-five other teams. There’s also Jck Flaherty who the Detroit Tigers might want to re-unite with, they’d better hurry. And there’s more than a hundred other free agent waiting by the phone. Giddy up!
