With the season wrapped up, the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes can finally begin in earnest after months of anticipation. Teams like the New York Yankees and New York Mets are considered frontrunners to sign the 26-year-old outfielder, but could the Chicago Cubs be in the mix?
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter sees a fit between Soto and the Cubs as plausible. In his recent ranking of the top 10 possible destinations for Soto this winter, Reuter placed the Yankees at number one, the Mets at number two, and the Cubs at number three.
The Cubs earned this high ranking partly because Reuter anticipates outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger will opt out of his three-year, $80 million deal, leaving a significant gap in manager Craig Counsell’s lineup that Soto could fill seamlessly.
“With one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, a large-market appeal, and a need for a superstar to lead the franchise, the Cubs can’t be overlooked as a potential landing spot for Soto this winter,” Reuter noted.
Soto had a stellar 2024 season with the Yankees, helping propel them to their first World Series appearance since 2009. He posted a .288/.419/.569 slash line with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 128 runs scored over 576 plate appearances. His 41 home runs marked a career-high, as did his impressive 7.9 WAR, per Baseball-Reference.
While it’s captivating to speculate on where Soto will sign, the size of his next contract is equally intriguing. In August, ESPN’s Jeff Passan stated that Soto’s contract would start at $500 million, and Spotrac projected his market value at 14 years and $513 million. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently forecasted an even larger deal for Soto, suggesting it could reach $622 million.
