With the New York Yankees staring down the barrel of a 3-0 deficit in the 2024 World Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers poised to win their first championship in a non-COVID season since the 1988 MLB season, Juan Soto's pending free agency has become top of interest for baseball fans across California sports betting.
With the 26-year-old slated to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time this offseason, it’s worth wondering whether the Yankees will be able to keep the four-time All-Star outfielder in The Bronx long term, given the historic paycheck that’s likely to come Soto’s way.
Based on the projections from the team at Spotrac.com, it looks like the Scott Boras client has a market value of $513.6 million, with the site projecting him to earn a 14-year deal that amounts to that much this offseason.
Should Soto earn that much, he’d net the second largest free agent deal in MLB history behind Dodgers DH/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who inked a 10-year, $700 million deal with the club last offseason.
Ahead of what’s sure to be a busy offseason, BetCalifornia.com broke down some hypothetical odds on which MLB team will land Soto as a free agent this offseason, with the Yankees coming in as a commanding favorite.
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
New York Yankees | +200 | 33.3% |
Los Angeles Dodgers | +500 | 16.7% |
New York Mets | +800 | 11.1% |
Washington Nationals | +800 | 11.1% |
San Francisco Giants | +1250 | 7.4% |
Philadelphia Phillies | +1500 | 6.3% |
Chicago Cubs | +1500 | 6.3% |
The Field | +1250 | 7.4% |
Disclaimer: These odds were developed by and are exclusive to BetCalifornia.com.
Our odds-on favorite to land Soto is his current employer, with the Yankees clocking in at +200 to keep the future Hall of Famer long-term, beating out the Dodgers (+500), New York Mets and Washington Nationals (+800 each).
Soto began his career in the Nation’s Capital, playing 565 between 2018 and 2022 with the Nationals and belting 119 home runs, 358 RBIs and a WAR of 21.3 with Washington.
In his lone season in the Big Apple, Soto managed to hit 41 home runs and 109 RBIs with an OPS+ of 178, racking up 7.9 WAR and giving himself a shot at his first MVP award this offseason.
Besides the teams mentioned above, keep an eye on longshot Soto suitors like the San Francisco Giants (+1250), Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs (+1500 each), as there surely will be no shortage of interested teams come the start of MLB free agency this winter.
USA Today photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea.
Author
Christopher Boan is the lead writer at BetCalifornia.com, specializing in sports betting issues in the western United States. He's covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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