What does Juan Soto’s $765 million signing mean for Cubs? |
The Winter Meetings officially start today in baseball, which is typically a time to ramp up discussions of potential free-agent signings and trade conversations. Shohei Ohtani’s ongoing negotiations highlighted last season’s winter meetings. This offseason, the Winter Meetings are off with a BANG.
Juan Soto, the prized possession of the offseason, has inked a 15-year, 765 million dollar contract with the New York Mets. For starters, what an astronomical amount of money. The Mets will owe Soto $51 million annually until 2040, with potential escalators up to $55 million annually from 2030 on. But with such a big move early on in the week, the trickle-down effects will be monumental. With Soto going to the Mets, that likely takes the Mets out of the running for some other major free agents. But for the six teams that missed out on Soto, that should ramp up the intensity to make a splash. The Yankees mainly, but the Padres, Giants, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays will be looking to add and make up for their missing out on the generational talent in Soto. The Dodgers have stayed busy, signing Michael Conforto and remaining in the mix for Teoscar Hernandez, among other outfielders. San Francisco started their offseason by signing the best shortstop on the market in Willy Adames. However, both NL West foes figure to make more offseason moves. The Soto signing certainly impacts the Cubs as well. There is a multitude of reasons that Soto's signing with the Mets impacts the Cubs, but perhaps one of the largest is the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes. It has been thoroughly reported so far this offseason that the Cubs are potentially looking to move Cody Bellinger. However, as CUBSHQ wrote last week, Bellinger’s trade market is complicated due to his contract situation, but he would likely become more coveted once Soto is off the market. What better time for the Cubs to explore interest in the 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year than at the Winter Meetings? Before Soto signing, the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers were two teams rumored to be interested in the slugger’s services. You can add Seattle into the mix as they look for offense and the Cubs attempt to acquire starting pitching. On top of those three teams, the Yankees, Red Sox, Padres, Dodgers, Giants, and Blue Jays all missed out on a left-handed hitting power bat. At the same time, Bellinger is a few notches beneath Soto. Any team that missed out on Soto factors to be in the mix to acquire Bellinger — who has hit 44 home runs and hit .286 in two seasons with Chicago. You can forecast an aggressive Yankees organization after getting outbid at the last second for Soto to want to make additions quickly — and if Jed Hoyer and the Cubs can pin their interest against the Braves, Rangers, and the slew of Soto-less clubs, they could find their ideal trade to part with the 29-year-old. The Mets signing Soto likely means that Pete Alonso will play for a different club in 2025. Could the Cubs make room for a potential Alonso signing by trading Bellinger? The Cubs have had rumored interest in the slugger for a few seasons now. He has hit eight homers in 17 games at Wrigley and driven in 18 runs. Following the Juan Soto news, all signs point to a busy week for Jed Hoyer and Co. in Dallas.
