Three decisions Blue Jays can make to avoid a Shohei Ohtani-sized mistake with Juan Soto

The Toronto blue jays They are expected to throw big money at Juan Soto this winter in hopes of luring the four-time All-Star north of the border. It’s one exciting possibilityand it would truly create a sense of equality in the ultra-competitive American League.

There’s only one problem. No one actually believes the Blue Jays can pull this off.

Toronto was famously in the mix for Shohei Ohtani last season. At one point, the Blue Jays were even considered the favorites to land Ohtani, with fans diligently follow flights from LA as speculation mounted. Ultimately, however, the Blue Jays lost that race to the Los Angeles Dodgerswho signed Ohtani to a historic 10-year contract worth $700 million.

The Blue Jays were nothing more than leverage to drive up the price of the Dodgers. Ohtani was never going to go to Toronto, whether he admits it or not. Then the Blue Jays made a run at trade candidate Juan Soto, but lost that race as well. He landed with the New York Yankeesa doubly cruel twist of fate.

New York finished in the World Series this season, while Toronto fell to the bottom of the AL East standings. However, Soto is now a free agent and he has opened the door to all 30 teams. Toronto is expected to start with one serious attempt to sign the Dominican superstar, who could get a contract in the same $700 million ballpark as Ohtani.

Here’s how the Blue Jays can make it happen.

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The latest reports suggest that Juan Soto will get at least $700 million for his next contract. At least that’s what the 26-year-old will ask for, and there’s no reason to think he won’t get it. Featuring the four most financially ambitious teams in the MLB – Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Phillies – all connected to Soto, that tab is going up quickly. The Blue Jays can’t blink when it comes time to put an offer sheet on the table.

Toronto was willing to shell out $700 million for Ohtani. Is there a similar motivation for Soto? And what if something above and beyond is needed? One wonders if we would be having a different conversation now if Toronto had offered Ohtani $750 million. Often the highest bid wins and Soto is a customer of Scott Boras. If the Blue Jays really want to make an impression on the four-time Silver Slugger, it could be as simple as submitting a top offer. Nothing says commitment more than pushing past the bidding, which even Steve Cohen is comfortable with.

Now it’s hard to believe that Toronto would actually outbid the Mets or Yankees. It just doesn’t happen that often. However, Soto is a special talent and it is clear that the Blue Jays are desperate to put a winning product on the field. Ross Atkins kept his job as GM against the will of the fanbase this winter. His seat will be scorched if the Blue Jays can’t meaningfully improve their situation. Adding Soto would immediately put Toronto in the postseason conversation.

There is zero chance that Soto signs the largest guaranteed contract in MLB history this winter. without the major postponement that Ohtani’s contract in LA stipulated. If Toronto feels comfortable forking over $700 million to install Soto as the face of the franchise, chances are he will listen.

Even if the Blue Jays hand Juan Soto a blank check, the roster needs more work. Soto’s bat can cover up a lot of shortcomings, but Toronto finished 14 games under .500 last season — not the kind of deficit a single player can erase. It will require a more robust transportation of free agents.

If the Blue Jays want to go all out to bring Soto to justice, the best method to improve the roster in a way that furthers that goal is to target Soto’s former teammates. In addition to Soto, the Yankees have a ton of free agents this winter. I’m not saying the Blue Jays are going to pay Gerrit Cole And Juan Soto, but names like Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo and Clay Holmes could all appeal to Toronto.

The Blue Jays need pitching depth. Clay Holmes was a key weapon in New York’s bullpen. Anthony Rizzo, for example, is a free agent. He was a valued leader in the Yankees locker room and he certainly has a meaningful bond with Soto. The Blue Jays have discussed moving Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to third base. Why not add Rizzo first, move Guerrero to a more valuable position and use Rizzo as a recruiting chip in the Soto sweepstakes? That, folks, is called a strategy.

Toronto can basically twist the knife deeper on the Yankees with each successive move here. Imagine the Blue Jays transferring several key pieces from a New York World Series team, potentially leading to Toronto’s own deep postseason run. That’s the kind of offseason Blue Jays fans dream about.

Juan Soto wants a lot of money, but he also wants a chance to win at the highest level. The Yankees were in the World Series. The Dodgers won the World Series. The Mets were in the NLCS and never shy away from aggressive spending. The Phillies are a must see in October. These teams can all pitch Soto on winning and winning often.

The Blue Jays were again 14 games under .500 this season, or so the rumor goes unrest in the locker room and burning trade circulated. How can Toronto convince Soto that he will have a competitive roster not only in 2025, but for the duration of his decade-long contract? It starts with extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

There’s no doubt that Toronto can bring star power into Soto’s orbit. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is coming off one of the best batting seasons in recent memory, hitting .323/.396/.544 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI. He would have been an MVP candidate if the Blue Jays were a better team. Guerrero has expressed a desire to stay in Toronto long-term, but he is approaching the final year of his contract without extension.

Signing Guerrero to a long-term deal would guarantee Soto at least one All-Star running mate in the near future. At 25, Guerrero’s best years should line up nicely with Soto’s. That’s actually a great combination to build around. Guerrero won’t settle for anything below market value, which could mean Toronto signing a Dodgers and offering more than $1 billion in financial guarantees between Soto and Guerrero. If the Blue Jays front office is willing to commit so many resources to picking a winner, Soto should feel good about where he’s going.

It’s hard to imagine Soto passing up so many major franchises to sign with Toronto, but if the Blue Jays are really serious, there are ways to win this bidding war.