- The New York Mets are the odds-on favorite to land Juan Soto if he is traded by the New York Mets.
- Soto rejected a 15-year $440 million contract offer from the Nationals last weekend.
- The Yankees are second in the odds board at +500 while the Giants are third at +550 odds.
Home Run Derby Winner Juan Soto is favored to play for the New York Mets if he ends up getting traded by the Washington Nationals.
The Washington outfielder rejected the team’s 15-year $440 million offer last week. The deal would have been the largest contract in MLB history but in an interview, Soto said that worries about the Nationals’ future played a part in his decision not to sign the long-term deal.
.@JuanSoto25 joined the guys on set to talk through swing adjustments and his mindset surrounding the future.@kevinburkhardt | @AROD | @davidortiz | @TheBigHurt_35 pic.twitter.com/GUhZNMIVCy
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 18, 2022
On June 1st, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said the team had no plans to trade Soto but in the wake of the recent development, the team is reportedly willing to listen to trade offers.
Mets to Explore Trade for Soto
Report: New York Mets to ‘Explore’ Trade for Juan Soto https://t.co/khGobIFZeU
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) July 18, 2022
According to a report from MLB Insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, both the Mets and Yankees will look into a potential trade to acquire Soto. While it may not be likely that the Nationals will trade Soto to a division rival, the Mets are one of the few teams that have the money to sign Soto to a record-breaking deal.
The Mets are 58-35 on the season and are on top of the National League East Division where the Nationals are languishing at the bottom with their 31-63 mark. If Soto’s top consideration is to move to a winning team then, there’s no question the Mets pass that criterion. They have the 4th best odds to win the World Series at +600 and have the second best odds to win the National League at +420 odds.
Meanwhile, the Yankees would even be a more attractive destination for Soto since the Bronx Bombers are the current World Series favorites at +375 and are the AL Favorites at +170 odds. Like the Mets, the Yankees are one of the few teams that have the money and prospects to pull off a Soto deal so it’s also no surprise that they are second in the current Juan Soto betting board at +500 odds.
What Would it Take for the Giants to Trade for Juan Soto?
The Giants certainly could use Juan Soto’s power, but what would it take to trade for him?https://t.co/W62Q4QVj3P
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 16, 2022
The San Francisco Giants are third in the BetOnline odds board for Juan Soto at +550 and like any other team in the league, they would certainly love to have his power. However, the big question is what would it take for the Giants to acquire Soto? San Francisco’s Joc Pederson says that the Giants may not have what it takes to trade for Soto. But that’s his opinion and it doesn’t mean that the Giants will not try.
Next on the list are the Los Angeles Dodgers who are tied with the Yankees at the top of the World Series odds board at Bet365 with their +375 odds. There’s no question that the outfield is the weakness for this current Dodgers team. Now just imagine what the Dodgers would look like with Soto on board. L.A. has the prospect capital to swing a deal and if they could do it with Max Scherzer and Trea Turner before, why not Soto?
The Toronto Blue Jays already have a lineup that can contend. But they could contend for years to come with Vlad, George Springer, and Soto. Toronto is listed at +600 to land Soto in a deal. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals are next at +700, and with enough minor league and young major league talents to pull it off, why not the Cardinals? Julio Rodriguez and Juan Soto in the same outfield would be an intriguing idea. This would be an all-in move at +750 and would accelerate the Seattle Mariners’ timeline.
