LA Dodgers spent a lot of money in free agency before winning big. The class of 2025 could be even deeper

PHOENIX – The Los Angeles Dodgers spent big last season before winning big this postseason, take home a World Series title after committing over $1 billion on players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández.

Now it’s time to see which teams are in the mood to open their wallets for free agents in preparation for the 2025 season.

The Ohtani sweepstakes dominated offseason conversations last year until the Japanese superstar signed an eye-popping ten-year, $700 million deal last December. With apologies to Juan Soto, there may not be anyone making that kind of salary in the coming months, even if this year’s class is arguably deeper.

Soto, Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell, Alex Bregman and Jack Flaherty are among the high-level players looking for new teams. After that, there’s a tempting tier of players like the aforementioned Hernández, Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, Pete Alonso, Christian Walker and Sean Manaea who could provide a big boost to championship teams.

MLB general managers will meet this week in San Antonio, Texas, for the unofficial opener of the offseason. Normally not many steps are taken during these conversations in early November, but they often lay the foundation for future deals.

Here are some things to watch as MLB Free Agency opens this week:

Soto shined like a Yankee, but don’t expect a NY discount

This class may be deep, but there’s no doubt that the No. 1 prize is Soto. The four-time All-Star already has 201 career home runs, a career.421 on-base percentage and helped the New York Yankees to the World Series before losing to the Dodgers in five games.

He is also only 26 years old.

The Yankees would like to keep Soto, who along with Aaron Judge became a formidable pair for the Bronx Bombers. But it’s unclear how much owner Hal Steinbrenner is willing to spend on a player who could get a contract worth around $500 million.

Soto didn’t tip after New York’s disappointing exit in the autumn classicbut it doesn’t sound like he’s willing to sign for a discount.

“I will be available for all 30 teams,” Soto said. “I don’t want to say that anyone has any advantage because at the end of the day we’re going to look at what they have and how much they want me.”

There are more Big Apple decisions in store for the Mets

One of the more intriguing teams to keep an eye on in the coming months is the New York Metswho overcame a slow start to advance to the NL Championship Series before losing to the Dodgers.

Alonso was a big part of the Mets’ lineup over the past six seasons, hitting 226 home runs. Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana are also on the market, after all, they were important parts of the pitching rotation.

Now the franchise must decide whether to keep them, rebuild them, or do a combination of both. There is a lot of pressure on the team to improve, especially since it doesn’t seem like the Crosstown Yankees will stop winning anytime soon.

Fascinating veterans are looking for a late-career revival

It will be fascinating to see what happens with veterans like Paul Goldschmidt, Walker Buehler, Shane Bieber and Carlos Santana. These are guys who have some miles (and surgeries) on their bodies, but have been great leaders for a long time.

Goldschmidt was the 2022 NL MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals, but his offensive production has taken a dip in recent years. Still, he’s a first baseman who’s good in the clubhouse and keeps his body in great shape.

Buehler returned from his second Tommy John surgery this season. There have been several ups and downs, although his stellar performance in the World Series is reason to believe he still has plenty left. He pitched six scoreless innings against the Yankees, including a scoreless ninth, clinching the series in Game 5.

Super agent Scott Boras will make his presence felt once again

Baseball super agent Scott Boras has long been considered one of the best in the business, although this was last year’s offseason was not among his best.

Several of his clients — including Snell, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery and Cody Bellinger — didn’t sign until spring training but didn’t get the expensive long-term deals they were looking for. Instead, most ended up signing short-term deals.

Boras will be a major force again this season, representing many of the big free agents including Soto, Burnes, Alonso, Snell and Bregman.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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APMLB: https://apnews.com/mlb