There is no indication yet that Juan Soto's free agency will be extended into the offseason, as some major free agents have done in the past.
Still, at least some of the other available free agents could be stuck in a holding pattern until the superstar signs a new deal in New York or elsewhere.
For example, if the Yankees miss Soto, they could use Christian Walker to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base.
However, Walker is expected to sign a multi-year deal worth at least $20 million per season (Jon Heyman of the Post pegs it at three years and $60 million), meaning the 33-year-old will be in line for Soto's spot. If he acquires him, it's almost certain that more teams will be interested. .
Walker is the right infielder for the Yankees, who are set to lose second baseman Gleyber Torres and first baseman Rizzo, both free agents after the Yankees exercised a $6 million buyout in the final year of Rizzo's contract. Became an agent.
Walker could also be a target for the Mets if another local free agent, Pete Alonso, does not return to Queens.
The Yankees could also be in the market for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move to second base and Alex Bregman to take over at third base in that scenario, but again, that's not all possible if they sign Soto.
Alonso and Bregman, like Soto, are represented by Scott Boras and should receive bigger contracts than Walker.
But there's no bigger player this offseason than Soto.
“Listen, we'll talk to players we think are a good fit,” another agent, currently a free agent, said Friday. “And if something works, that's fine. We know what our market is. But depending on what happens with the other players, we could be on another team. We also know that it can be revived. It all starts with [Soto]”
Last offseason, it was Shohei Ohtani who made the baseball world wait. He agreed to a historic contract with the Dodgers in the second week of December.
Soto has been meeting with teams this week (Masslive.com said the first reported meeting was with the Red Sox in Southern California on Thursday), and the Mets and Yankees are also certain to play. , Soto, 26, appears to be in great shape. It's a similar timeline to Ohtani a year ago and Aaron Judge last offseason when free agency dominated the sports world.
Complicating matters, teams like the Blue Jays, who were also prepared to target Soto, simply took the money they would have spent had they signed Ohtani last season and didn't distribute it elsewhere. It is a fact.
The same numbers hold true this offseason, with some teams pocketing much of the ticket money if Soto misses the game instead of spending it elsewhere.
The biggest contract signed so far this offseason was a three-year, $51 million contract that kept Michael Wacha in Kansas City.
The Yankees signed right-handed relief pitcher Johnny Ventura to a minor league contract this week, according to the team's trade page.
The 24-year-old has pitched in the Mets' system since signing with the Dominican Republic in 2018, reaching Double-A last season.
Although he has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, Ventura also has the swing-and-miss elements that have allowed the Yankees to succeed in acquiring lesser-known relievers in the past.
