MLB insider deems Giants as possible free-agent landing spot for Soto originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
With New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto scheduled to hit MLB free agency next year, the Giants appear in prime position to land the superstar.
San Francisco is one of the five teams on the short list of Soto’s suitors, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman believes.
“No. 4 for me are the Giants and we know they’ve tried for a big star for years right?,” Heyman said.
“[Giancarlo] Stanton, [Aaron] Judge, [Shohei] Ohtani, [Bryce] Harper. They also made a play for Soto in a trade [and it didn’t work out]. I think they have some hurdles obviously with a tough ballpark to hit in, but they have a chance.”
San Francisco has coveted a big-name superstar bat for a long time, and Soto fits the bill perfectly. The 25-year-old is having one of his best seasons with the Yankees and will be highly sought after once MLB free agency begins.
The Giants have not landed a hitter of Soto’s stature since the franchise signed Barry Bonds in 1993. While San Francisco has had no trouble developing and acquiring pitching, they have struggled offensively, particularly this season. Heliot Ramos leads the Giants with 53 RBI this season while Soto has 83 RBI.
The four-time MLB All-Star will not be easy to land, however, as he is expected to command one of the highest salaries in the league. Given that a player of Soto’s stature rarely hits the free agent market, many anticipate him to receive something in the ballpark of a 12-year, $482.5 million contract.
Beyond that, Oracle Park is not known to be friendly to hitters and it may be difficult for the Giants to shake the doom loop narrative that has engulfed the city of San Francisco in recent years.
Still, Giants fans can dream of Soto smashing bombs into McCovey Cove and leading the franchise back to prominence among the National League’s elite teams.
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