In a little more than two months, the frenzy begins. Juan Soto, having just turned 26 years old, will be a free agent. The last time a hitter of Soto's caliber reached the open market at such a young age, following such an exceptional season, came nearly a quarter-century ago. And on Dec. 11, 2000, Alex Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $252 million contract, doubling the previous record for total value of a deal.
Soto turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Washington Nationals when he was 23 years old to get to the moment at which he'll soon arrive, and he has spent the 2024 season addressing every nit at which a team might pick. He has thrived in his first season as a New York Yankee. He has set a career high with 37 home runs (and 30 games remain in the season). He still walks more than anyone and strikes out less than almost anyone with his sort of power. He's an above-average defensive outfielder by all publicly available metrics.
He is the platonic ideal of a free agent. And just as Shohei Ohtani last year created a cadre of dreamers around the game wondering if maybe, just maybe he'd choose their organization, the prospect of Soto coming on board is similarly tantalizing.
"When it comes to the outfielder from across our borough," New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said, "he's having a fantastic year and I hope he goes out there and breaks every record out there when it comes to getting paid. If it's with us, it'll be fantastic. He'll help us a lot."
Everything around Soto this winter is destined to be big: the hype, the salesmanship, the jockeying, the intrigue and, ultimately, the money. And it's the perfect theme as we dive into the Soto sweepstakes as well as the fortunes of the best players expected to be available alongside him: What, according to nearly two dozen sources queried about this winter, are the biggest storylines in a free agent period that begins with Soto but certainly doesn't end there.