Juan Soto hot stove getting warmer as Blue Jays get first meeting with him

Buckle up, Blue Jays fans; because the 2024-25 MLB offseason is shaping up to be just like last year's when the club came oh-so close to signing Shohei Ohtani. Of course, they came up empty-handed and fell flat on their faces during the regular season that followed, but we'll worry about a repeat of that another time.

This time around, the Blue Jays have their sights set on Juan Soto, who is easily the best free agent on the market right now. The Jays clearly have the funds needed to throw the bank at Soto if necessary, so if he ultimately winds up signing elsewhere, you know it won't be because Toronto couldn't afford him.

According to multiple reports, including one from ESPN's Jeff Passan, meetings are going to be getting underway this week with Soto, his agent Scott Boras and executives from interested teams. Teams with confirmed meetings include the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets and ... Blue Jays.

Passan noted in his piece that the Blue Jays are currently penciled in to get the very first meeting of the offseason with Soto. This on its own is likely not a very big deal, but the fact that Blue Jays brass has gotten their foot in the door already is certainly encouraging.

Blue Jays will get the offseason's first official meeting with Juan Soto, Scott Boras

Soto, the second-best free agent in MLB history, is widely expected to get, well ... the second largest contract in history. Passan himself noted that he could also get the longest one as well, surpassing Fernando Tatis Jr.'s 14-year pact with the Padres.

Armed with the financial flexibility to make things interesting this offseason, there's no questions as to why the Blue Jays like what Soto has to offer. Not only is he still just 26 years of age, but he's also turning himself into one of the best talents this game has ever seen.

Soto has led the league in multiple categories over the course of his seven-year career, including runs scored, batting average, walks (three times), OBP, SLG, OPS and OPS+. He has yet to win that elusive first MVP Award, but he's already a clear-cut Hall of Fame talent.

In 2024 alone, he led the AL in runs scored (128) while hitting 41 home runs and driving in 109 runs. He also drew 129 walks while striking out 119 times, hitting .288 with a .989 OPS and 178 OPS+ in the process. Him and Aaron Judge formed one of the most lethal duos the game has ever seen this season, and it's going to be crucial for the Blue Jays to do everything they can to break up that duo before they torture the Jays for the next 10-15 years.