MLB Insider says Blue Jays ‘will make an attempt’ at Juan Soto this winter

It sure wasn’t too long ago when the Toronto Blue Jays went after the most coveted star player in the free agent market. Of course, nobody would forget the superstar that they ended up pursuing was none other than Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani. By now, we all know how that eventually turned out.

However, the Jays might be right back in the thick of things once again for this upcoming free agency season. That’s because MLB Insider Bob Nightengale has predicted that the Jays will make an attempt at signing star outfielder Juan Soto this winter.

Although Soto might not be at the exact same level as Ohtani, there’s still no doubt that he is among the best in the league. After all, Soto is a four-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, along with finishing runner-up for both NL Rookie of the Year in 2018 and NL MVP in 2021. Over his seven big league seasons, he has posted a stellar .285 batting average, .954 OPS, 160 OPS+, along with 638 runs scored, 175 doubles, 197 home runs and 579 RBI in 914 career games played. With the ability to average 35 home runs and 100 RBI year in and year out, Soto would fit perfectly into the offense-hungry Jays team for 2025.

This year, Soto is actually on pace for a career year with the New York Yankees, as he has already surpassed his career high in home runs with 37. He has also tied his career high of 111 runs scored and is 14 RBI away from his personal best of 110. More impressively, he has also shown some convincing signs of improvement in the field as well. Over 131 games in the outfield for the Yankees, Soto has registered 4 DRS along with 10 outfield assists and a sparkling .993 fielding percentage.

Getting Soto could still be just a dream for the Jays, as they will sure be up against some tough competition in the market. As Nightengale also suggested (subscription required), Soto is likely signing with the Yankees or the New York Mets, with the San Francisco Giants attempting to get themselves into the race as well. However, at least one thing is for sure, he confidently believes that the Washington Nationals won’t be in the mix to bring Soto back home. Nevertheless, with the Jays being mentioned in the same sentence along with some of the top teams in the league by the highly-respected Nightengale, it sure gives them plenty of hope going forward.

With the infamous failed recruitment of Ohtani this past offseason, if the Jays can somehow miraculously land Soto this time around, it can go a long way in re-establishing the winning culture in Toronto. For the sake of the organization and its loyal fanbase, it’s time for the Jays to get the job done this winter.